You have all been working together for over a week, thus have gotten to know a bit about one another.
All this time you have been in the city of Hajoth Hakados in Numeria assisting
Venture-Captain Dagur Hawksight, a female human, with preparing the Pathfinder lodge to receive an important guest: Kevoth-Kul.
Kevoth-Kul is actually Numeria’s ruler, also named the Black Sovereign.
Dagur has arranged for Hajoth Hakados’s leader, Lady Altouna, a female lashunta to participate in the event.
Preparations have been going well up until this point, and Kevoth-Kul is expected to arrive the following morning.
Please get to know one another as you carry out the important tasks--
--of making the silverware shine, boiling the eggs just right, sweeping the dining room floor...
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Why not?
Anri though to herself a week ago. Why not attempt to re-create a recipe of the Bean Stew her father prepared for her and her brother as a child? The tricky part would of course be the meat. Though some of the guests may indeed be from humble backgrounds, naturally, with assumed power and prestige is accompanied a corresponding pomp and self-importance, perhaps the very bane of organized societies. This would be the sticking point: How to use authentic meats in such a way as not having them taste overly 'gamey'?
Fortunately, she could commission the vegetables, herbs, legumes, and spices she needed from the lodge staff, buying her some time to stew with this question. Of course she would hunt the beast herself: What delightful dinner conversation that would yield! Perhaps invite one of the other pathfinders along - maybe that roguish elf - a way to assess him as a combatant ahead of the big day. Another thing. Having been recently promoted in the Society, why a requisitioning of someone of her talents to be a mere chef? Obviously, something greater was afoot - Anri would just have to wait to find out.
But back to: How to prepare the meat! Never having had classical training, just a few old remembered recipes, Anri, a quick study with most practical skills, could reason her way through it well enough, could spend an evening and digest an entire cookbook - not unlike reading a spellbook - and improvise a provincial twist out of a classic skaldic dish.
Ah, that'd do. Now, if only that aimless "universalist" - unable to truly commit to a single deep study of magic - would stop hovering! Didn't he realize that she could hear him thinking!? Anri knows he means well, but some people can simply be too good-natured...
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Tanithil spent his early career with the Pathfinder Society exploring Thassilonian ruins before taking a position within the Grand Lodge archives. He smiles as he reflects on the opportunities he's had since Gorn convinced him to get back in the field.
Fascinated with Numeria especially the alien life within the town, Tanithil has spent the last week learning. Tanithil takes a break from his studies of the town to clean the lodge.
Tanithil then checks with lodge for any security issues.
As Anri spent several days trying to re-create her childhood Bean Stew, she spent a good amount of time in the kitchen with Miro Loamgarden, the lodge's male halfling chef.
He went himself to do all the purchases in the market, for all the vegetables, herbs, legumes, and spices that were needed.
And he was very happy when she went out to hunt and bring fresh meat back.
"Saves me the coin!"
In the meantime, Tanithil checks the security-- and sees that there is not much.
The lodge is simply a large house, a bit on the outskirts of the town.
Since it is not officially a lodge, even being secret, there are no special measures.
And not a big staff beyond Dagur Hawksight running the operation, the Halfling cook Miro Loamgarden, along with Vanis Mercuria the nonbinary human secretary slash assistant of Hawksight, and Zatqualmish, the male gnome paper-sorting pencil-pushing whatever, who spends his time in his room, working, and even gets food delivered to him.
However, Tanithil is told that Kevoth-Kul is traveling with his entire warband, and he mainly covers his own security.
"Yes, meat," says Miro. "Some like it raw, some like it boiled, some like it roasted, some like it fried... so, how does your skaldic dish serve it?"
Tanithil does come into the kitchen, to see what is going on, and is delighted to see this Numerian tool that Miro is using-- to light the fire under the pot, slice and dice the vegetables, saw through the bone of the meat, write down the list of what to get next in the market, and cut the onions from the strings they are attached to!
All in one...
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Reporting to the lodge, Thulgrun Ironfist, an [ulr=https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Ouat]Ouat dwarf[/url] with a large shield, no armor, and only his clan dagger as a weapon. His skin is well bronzed from the sun, and he looks a little out of place in this northern land.
"I am here." he declares. "I assume that there is something, or someone, who needs fixin'."
He takes a look around the lodge, fixing up things, mumbling about "Damned humans, always in such a rush. Never fixin' things up all proper." as he pulls out his repair kit and starts working.
Vanis Mercuria is very happy that Ironfist is such a good hand with all these little things.
"That candlestick, the wax ran out and dripped and I've been aiming to fix it for seven years. You know how it is, you say you'll do it tomorrow and..."
Kyra is an attractive Kelish woman who has seen more then her fair share of adventures. When not helping clean she helps Zatqualmish with the paperwork.
She sings hymns to keep everyone's spirits up.
"QUIET!" says Zatqualmish.
He is very nervous: "I have a LOT to do before the guests arrive. Treaties and contracts don't write themselves, you know.
And WHO took my inkpen?!"
He looks around, trying to see if that wizard is borrowing things again...
The poor Gnome does have a lot to do.
Piles of papers on his desk.
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Anri studies the scrolls she borrowed from the Training Academy, seeing if she can understand them sufficiently to record them permanently into her own spellbook, "Blood Cryomancy and Apotheosis":
Learn Dispel Magic
Learn Burning Hands
...and returning the irritable gnome's inkpen by morning...
When Anri puts the inkpen back-- into the jar, with 17 other inkpens, the tired Gnome lifts an eye from this work and sighs but keeps on working.
"I thought you were bringing me breakfast."
And so life goes on for a week, with Dwarves grumbling about Humans having short lifespans but postponing things as though they were Elves, with vivid discussions in the kitchen about what tool to cut meat with, with quarrels about quills in the study...
But, all in all, preparations have been going well--
--up until this point!
Since, in the late morning of the day before Kevoth-Kul is expected to arrive, Vanis Mercuria comes knocking on your doors, or rounding you up from wherever you are, gathering you in a cloak room.
Vanis gives you each a brief nod, before speaking:
“We of the Hajoth Hakados Lodge thank you for your willingness to contribute in this politically sensitive endeavor.
Our attentions cannot be diverted from other matters presently.
I shall be brief and not take up too much time, since time is precious, especially now, where it is - even more than usual - of the essence.
Of the essence of what I am not sure, what is the essence of time?
Maybe we can talk about that later.
Right now I shall make this short, speak to the point, not waste-- time.
Well, talking about essence, the essence of what I have to say, is that our scribe, a gnome named Zatqualmish--"
They nod again to those they know spent time in the Gnome's office.
"--has gone missing as of this morning, along with several necessary documents.
We suspect foul play, potentially from an internal element, as the documents were magically hidden.
A preliminary search has given us nothing conclusive, but you are welcome to investigate any areas or staff of the lodge you feel may help.”
They smile:
"Short and sweet and to the point, as we like it."
They gather their sheaf of notes and hold out a silver compass.
“Take this, should you need something to give you a bit of authority with the locals."
You recognize-- a wayfinder.
Vanis smiles again:
"This is called a wayfinder. Do you have questions?
What--? Oh, yes...
A wayfider is a compact compass repurposed with ancient technology to draw fantastic powers from the mysterious magical items called aeon stones.
It serves as a badge of office for agents of the Pathfinder Society and as a status symbol among adventurers of any stripe. It may be used to cast, more rapidly than usual, the powerful magical spell light. Which spell, cantrip to be precise, ot the Evocation school, can be found in many various traditions, be ther arcane, divine, occult, primal...
No more questions?
We mean, you should not be wasting time in a-- time like this."
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A young man, clearly in his late teens stands bedecked in his full plate. It has the various symbols of Nethys artistically imprinted over the metal plates. He manages to unconsciously ooze honest goodness from every part of his being. Since he had arrived he has been helpful, insisting on using various spells to aid in the preparations.
Now he stands amid those gathered with his unkempt, sandy brown hair slightly covering his penetratingly blue eyes. His face, which generally held a genial smile, now stoic and serious. One of his hands rests on the pommel of a sheathed longsword, belted to his waist. The other on a plain, thick, leather book which hangs from the opposite side to the sword on a thin leather thong.
"I think investigating his office should be our first stop," Leo says confidently though his strong jaw was clenching nervously. He then adds, seemingly more for his own reassurance, "Surely magic can solve this mystery more quickly."
"Umm..," he stammers as he starts, his face a little red. "Uh, hi. I'm Leo. I..uh..you arrived before me and I heard that you study magic as well..," he trails off, clearly unsure what else to say.
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A noble looking elf is seen dusting off from his journey. When the hand dusting does not work you see him use simple magic to make himself and his items clean. He looks around the room and after seeing everyone in discussion he blurts out "Apologies for my tardiness. I got lost in the city down by the markets. But I arrived none the less. I am Wyndalarian Tinalmathian, a recent graduate from the Kyonin Academy here to serve my family's duty to the Pathfinders. Now what book am I to review for this venture?"
He finds a seat and listens intently to the conversations that are ongoing, saying nothing.
"Oh my," says Vanis Mercuria. "I knew I got some letters messed up. You were supposed be summoned here next week, for the bloodsucker hunt and cleansing in the forest behind, as well as dealing with the new guild of Assassins.
Those are tasks for less seasoned adventurers.
Right now I asked for more experienced Pathfinders, to help boil the eggs, and butter the toasts!"
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Thulgrun listens carefully to Vanis, and as he show the wayfinder, he indicates his own, prominently displayed engraved wayfinder. "Will this do? I thought all proper Pathfinders had these, as it is the symbol of our Society. I got mine after my Initiation."
He listens to Leo, and nods. "I agree, we should cbeck his office first.
"Vanis, have you informed the Venture-Captain of his disappearance? It would be the proper thing to do, as you well know."
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A well built young man approaches Anri. He has all the appearance of a traditional warrior save his innocent expression and simple, leather book in his hand.
"Umm..," he stammers as he starts, his face a little red. "Uh, hi. I'm Leo. I..uh..you arrived before me and I heard that you study magic as well..," he trails off, clearly unsure what else to say.
"You're late!" The half-elf scolds, before even so much as looking at the well-meaning lad. She had heard there were going to be two additional students of the arcane arts - this human universalist and an elven evoker - and has been biding her time drawing up diagrams and collecting different incense, chalk and gums so as to render her craft "teachable" to those not deeply entrenched in the specific study of Transmutative Alterative Sublimatae, it's specific Lens within the greater field, a couple of Anri's Custom Techniques of frame, as well as common household items that can act as Accelerants.
Swiveling finally, she takes him in, noticing something, a theory she decides to immediately test, taking one more bite of an apple she had been nursing. She throws it at Leo, a gentle, underhand lob, and as he reacts to catch it, spins for a reverse kick to his chest, initiating a spar of fisticuffs, with sufficient practiced restraint so as to walk the line between causing "hurt" and causing "injury"; to issue a challenge of Martial Prowess, insinuating through grinning teeth that this gesture is as a first "lesson" which would consequently proceed others.
In the Present (Day 8)
"Time, my dear Vanis, is little more than yet another Plane that happens to be Orthogonal to those several other Planes that constitute your perception of what is Real as detected by your limited Senses, which, given it's unique relation to the others, introduces the concept of Sequency, and enables the dynamic phenomenon of Transmutation to occur naturally, or, with proper study, Supernaturally!" Anri couldn't help herself, having had administered instruction this last week, the concepts were still sitting ripely in her head, in a form readily communicable through language.
"But your point is none-the-less taken!" Heeding they's words, Anri dashes off unceremoniously to investigate the office from which Zatqualmish had vanished. She had been borrowing inkpens from the gnome all last week for her study group, and had, in a strange way, grown fond of him. She starts going through the remaining papers on his desk, trying to see if there would be any clue what he was "up to" as a means of establishing a possible motive for his apparent abduction.
She shares her findings (if any) with Leo and Thulgrun, asking relaying questions, pointing at sentences nested within paragraphs, spewing half-formed speculations, and answering conjecture within more of the same.
Vanis Mercuria wants to answer Anri, and talk about Orthogonal Planes-- but they are distracted by another person arriving to the Lodge, and then, it is too late, Anri has left.
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A boisterous human male walks in, slaps the elf wizard on the shoulder and tells him "Out rookie. This here mission is too important for the likes of you to mess it up." The war-prepped human shoves the elf out of the room and then announces to the others "Seems I got lost in a tavern for a bit. I am here and I am Valeros. We may properly begin." He then eyes up the others in attendance.
Kyra doesn't have a Wayfinder but recognizes it and nods. After Vanis leaves "What an odd person. Do you suppose the harping on the word time was a clue? I agree we should search the office. And look out for any methods of telling time."
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Tanithil puts away his broom as Vanis speaks. "There are some wayfinders that are slightly different," states Tanithil as he pulls out his wayfinder. With a bit of sadness in his voice, "mine can provide minor healing."
"I think the lodge is as clean as we can get it. Thulgrun is right lets seek out this gnome's office and look for clues."
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Leo holds his hands up in apparent apology as he begins to follow Anri. In a sheepish tone he says, "No, no. She's just like that about some things." He then turns completely and follows the enthusiastic half-elf like a dutiful puppy.
Leo does indeed manage to grab a hold of the apple as Anri's foot plants on his chest with some force. The blow causes him to stagger back and lose some air in his lungs. He also looks positively confused. As she comes at him again he says a quick word and a shield appears in front of his left forearm, which holds the apple. He blocks the next attack with the shield as he thrusts his right hand to the side, his fingers cupped as if holding a large sphere. He says a quick word and bright runes appear in a bright blue fire in front of his fingers. He twists his wrist clockwise and the runes follow suit as if it were some floating turntable. Immediately his movements begin quickening.
As Anri comes at him again he turns his body to force a glancing blow and draws his longsword. The longsword gleams in the lights of the room and several runes can be seen along the flat of the blade running up from the hilt. Without a word the sword's form shifts, as if made from some viscous substance, and solidifies in the form of a simple quarterstaff with the same runes running along its shaft. The runes alight for a moment as Leo swings the staff in a low arc. With seemingly divined accuracy the staff collides at the back of Anri's heel, clearly with the intent of tripping the woman.
Vanis Mercuria starts to answer Leo: "Well, would your being here, listening to me not be your first stop? Think about that. Then, technically, investigating the office would be the second stop--"
But he is interrupted by the arrival of Wylandarian--
--who is unceremoniously ejected from the Lodge by this tall strong stranger.
"Taverns... pff!", Vanis huffs at Valeros. "But, yes catching up is important. Especially this Gnome!"
Vanis huffs even louder at Ironfist: "OF COURSE I informed the Venture-Captain. I do everything by the book. And am always complimented on that: "Vanis, you have no imagination!" he always tells me", they proudly adds.
Kyra puts the bucket away while Tanithil stores the broom.
And you all follow Leo towards the Gnome's office--
--where a person seems to be lying on the floor!
But it is no corpse.
It simply is Anri who dashed off ahead of you to see what happened to the grumpy but sympathetic Gnome alongside whom she worked.
Anri is looking under Zatqualmish's office--
--and gets up, saying: "Something is amiss.
Not an inkpen anywhere. I checked under the desk..."
Indeed, you see that the desk and cabinets seem to have been hastily stripped of quills, inkpots, and other scribing tools.
But when you check you see that none of the drawers and wardrobes seem to have veen touched.
A cold, half-finished breakfast for one is laid out on a small table.
Kyra is a bit upset: "Hey! I made that for him."
And a cursory look tells you that, while messy, the room shows no obvious signs of a struggle.
Kyra gives the place a very careful search.
"Are you sure you looked thoroughly? Sometimes the smallest detail can be be important."
At the door, Vanis Mercuria tries to push their way in: "What is going on? Did you find something? Please mark it in your report if you did."
Undisturbed, Kyra's hawk-eye-- is sure there is nothing else at all to find in the room.
"There seems to be nothing of interest here. It is as if he just got up and walked off. Since he took his supplies... Could someone else have needed his services?"
"Someone?! His services?! He... he... he works for us! He would never, never, ever go work elsewhere. No no no..."
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Leo does indeed manage to grab a hold of the apple as Anri's foot plants on his chest with some force. The blow causes him to stagger back and lose some air in his lungs. He also looks positively confused. As she comes at him again he says a quick word and a shield appears in front of his left forearm, which holds the apple. He blocks the next attack with the shield as he thrusts his right hand to the side, his fingers cupped as if holding a large sphere. He says a quick word and bright runes appear in a bright blue fire in front of his fingers. He twists his wrist clockwise and the runes follow suit as if it were some floating turntable. Immediately his movements begin quickening.As Anri comes at him again he turns his body to force a glancing blow and draws his longsword. The longsword gleams in the lights of the room and several runes can be seen along the flat of the blade running up from the hilt. Without a word the sword's form shifts, as if made from some viscous substance, and solidifies in the form of a simple quarterstaff with the same runes running along its shaft. The runes alight for a moment as Leo swings the staff in a low arc. With seemingly divined accuracy the staff collides at the back of Anri's heel, clearly with the intent of tripping the woman.
...Anri hits the ground at the force of Leo's trip - a perfect sweep - Hard! - bloodying her lip. She looks up, smiles at the lad - pausing just long enough to meet eyes - before kipping up gracefully, taking a step back, wiping the tiny crimson rivulet with her off-hand, and commending "You are faster than you look" before launching into a second assault leaping forward, throwing an off-hand jab, then a strong hook, and finally a crossing uppercut, connecting squarely with the latter two strikes, not enough to injure the lad, but more than enough to infuriate even a cool-headed fighter.
Anri's combination was desperate, over-reaching, as she struggles to keep pace with a fighter who, even unassisted by magic, has greater strength, speed, and skill, and consequently, leaves her guard wide open for counterattack!
Leo, with a simple, logical response to her martial stratagem, could end this fight with a single push, and perhaps the thought crosses his mind: Is this a dare? Is she leaving herself open on purpose? Should I exercise obvious restraint? Or, should I finish this now?...
In the Present (Day 8)
I am assuming Anri's Investigation into the contents of the paperwork on the gnome's desk yielded nothing.
So, finding only missing inkpens - now a bit frustrated at this unexpected "lead", if it could even be called that! - Anri begins to wonder why Zatqualmish would have left by, in the very least, his own physical volition.
Perhaps he was offered a deal he couldn't refuse? Perhaps he was a spy for the barbarian king all along? Or the lashunta queen? Perhaps his mental faculties were put at the directive of an outside force? Anri begins to share her theories with the rest of the room, about possible material, idealogical, or supernatural motivations.
After an exchange or two with the group, she asks Vanis Mercuria "Did he act any differently than you knew him to this last week? Signs of stress? A variation to his quirkiness? Keeping an irregular schedule? Any visitors? Anything at all you can think of would be most helpful..."
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Leo's style is that of a heavily armored fighter. He does not attempt to dodge, he's not that agile. Instead he leans toward hits that require more wind up. He turns and shifts slightly so that blows that would impact vital areas instead impact more protected or meaty parts. These small twists and shift allow a greater focus on offense.
Leo utilizes his magically enhanced speed not to enhance his defense, but maximize his offense. His staff becomes a blur that is occasionally accentuated by a flash of runes for divined strikes at Anri's feet.
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Tanithil sits and ponders. Zatqualmish and all his equipment to scribe gone! Did he just quit prior to the biggest meeting of this lodge or is there something else going on?
"I am in agreement with Valeros. Let us hit the streets and see what word they carry. Have you ever been to Port Peril? If you ever need some excitement those are the taverns you need to visit."
Anri starts to look through the papers on the desk-- but there are piles of them.
And piles stacked all around.
And on the shelves.
Neatly packed, but packed none the less.
This would takes hours-- days!
Where to start?
With what the Gnome was working on these past days.
Anri knows that Zatqualmish was badly pressed by the Venture-captain to finish a whole bundle of files to be used in the negotiations tomorrow.
But...
But?
But where are those papers? Can it be? Yes... Anri is positive: all the documents the Gnome was working on this past week are gone.
Meanwhile, Leo first detects magic on his comrades, but then tunes those auras out.
He sees there are some magical items around.
A sharpening stone of speed that makes your quills always nice and pointy.
An inkwell of everchanging colors that lets you change colors at will, thus saving space by not having to put all different inkwells and such. Oh, wait-- the Gnome had THREE of those!
And there is a magic paperweight, some piece of rock crystal that must be a souvenir from some holiday in the mountains. Or, actually it seems like it was ripped out of some jewelry.
But, no, the Detection of Magic brings no clues as to what might have happened, or where the Gnome went.
As Valeros flirts with Kyra, he hears Vanis Mercuria's answers to Anri, and thinks it would be a good idea to ask anyone else!
Vanis Mercuria answers Anri: "Excuse me? I am the assistant of the Venture-captain. Not some majordomo! I do not take care of Human & Non-Human Resources, thus it is not my purview to assess stress or quirkiness curves. Visitors, I hope not! We do not like visitors here! This is a secret lodge."
Turning to Tanithil, the secretary adds: "No, I have not been to that Port Peril, and I do not intend to. Excitement is not a pursuit of mine!"
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”Ok, let’s calm down here, please. ” says Thulgrun, amazed by the human’s ability to get excited even when they say they are not. ”It is clear that he has gone somewhere, and now we need to determine where.
“Is there a reason you are this concerned just because he did not show up for work one morning. Does this happen often?”
Thulgrun looks around the room, not expecting to find anything, but maybe tracks or signs were left that can be followed.
Ironfist finds no tracks in the room.
You are sure, with Kyra's hawk-eyes, that there is nothing else to find in the room.
Kyra smiles at Valros's earlier comment but nothing more.
"Let's start in a simple manner and ask around to establish if anyone has seen him today."
Vanis Mercuria looks at Valeros: "First of all, why would anybody want to go the market. Dirty places. Second of all: this is no time to go purchasing frivolous goods!"
Kyra knows there are not many people around right now, and that the main person to talk to would be the lodge’s cook, Miro Loamgarden.
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Leo's face begins turning red as he is about to respond before another assault is launched. He takes the bait of the off-hand jab, throwing up another magical shield to intercept. The mistake of that action is readily apparent to him as he is pummeled by the next two hits. Leo then narrows his eyes and sets his jaw in dedication to the combat, practice though it may be.
Leo's style is that of a heavily armored fighter. He does not attempt to dodge, he's not that agile. Instead he leans toward hits that require more wind up. He turns and shifts slightly so that blows that would impact vital areas instead impact more protected or meaty parts. These small twists and shift allow a greater focus on offense.
Leo utilizes his magically enhanced speed not to enhance his defense, but maximize his offense. His staff becomes a blur that is occasionally accentuated by a flash of runes for divined strikes at Anri's feet.
Anri smiles again as her opponent connects to their spar with emotion, showing himself to her, finally demonstrating presence. Now the gloves are off. She witnesses the sheer brutality of the young man's style, how he leans into her blows to lessen their inevitable impact, contrasting that with her own style of strike and avoidance.
After a couple more exchanges, Anri's punches striking true, cutting his cheek, but Leo's savagery turning them into mere glancing blows while he sets up his own strikes, undaunted, his whirling staff finally crashes into first her chest, knocking her wind, then second behind her heel, sending her flying 270 degrees about her earthly axis, clockwise as his wrists earlier, to spill once again across the floor.
The half-elf raises her fist to signal "yield", regaining her breath with her face flat on the stone, enjoying the endorphins coursing through her body. She savors the moment fully.
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After a beat "Ok. Now I know you. Now we can study." She slowly rises, aching in her legs, where Leo had focused his strikes, and gathers her spellbook, "Blood Cryomancy and Apotheosis", her diagrams, incense, chalk and gums, as well as a few of that gnome's strange inkpens (borrowed, obviously), and says to him "Which of my Incantations draws your interest?" and adding "Also, I am dying to see how you Dilated your own Temporal Frame with respect to the Base Reference!"...
In the Present (Day 8)
Smarting right back "With respect, perhaps if you had been more attentive, your own accountant wouldn't have walked off the job on the eve of this lodge's Debut! Instead you had your nose buried in the ground attending to your own corner, and now, when the steel hits the chain, you have f%+#-all to say about this turn of events, and furthermore, then feel insulted when asked a few questions by the team sent in to facilitate your big day?" Meeting ego with ego.
Letting that sit in the air while her temper cools, she changes tack "Look Vanis, we are here to try and help, and if you'd like us to ignore Zatqualmish's sudden departure, then give the word, and we will continue making preparations as if it didn't happen. Otherwise, if you could wrack your memory just a little, for any detail, even if it's seemingly insignificant, that could potentially help us establish a motive or cause for your colleague's disappearing act."
She turns to Tanithil and says "I think that is a good idea..." glancing back at the assistant venture-captain "...provided we are permitted to do so."
Vanis Mercuria is taken aback by Anri's words: "But... For the life of me... Listen here..", as they go through all sorts of colors, from red to purple.
When she turns back from speaking to Tanithil-- you catch a glimpse of the secretary rushing away down the corridor.
"This is too much like home... I didn't run away to hear it all again... I am not a bad person!"
You look at one another: do you wish to go the market ; or hit the streets ; or hit the streets going to the market ; or talk to the help-- namely the cook?
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"Perhaps I was too harsh." Anri reflects, but uncaringly, as if it would be proper to say as much, without actually feeling an amendment to behavior would be in order. If it was not apparent before, it becomes increasingly clear the wizard can be known to have an arrogance streak.
"I'd like to speak with the chef again - we have business notwithstanding as the meat is likely reached it's prime within the marinate - to see if he has noticed anything strange with our disappeared accountant." Now putting forth the following ideas which may, given the recent exchange, feel more like 'orders' given the bossiness of her tone "Somebody should check on the Assistant Venture-Captain, and somebody should indeed see if our missing gnome has been sighted outside the lodge nearby. Perhaps if we split up, we can make sufficient haste."
Anri pauses briefly to see if anyone wants to accompany her to the kitchen, then strides off towards that direction to question Miro Loamgarden.
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Thulgrun just shrugs at Anri's reflections about being too harsh. |"They should try to be a little thicker skinned. Like a dwarf. Hard to get a dwarf upset, not unless you are trying to cause us harm. And then you'll be the one who gets upset." he says, in a very 'matter of fact' tone.
"Yes, let's go talk to the cook. Maybe we'll get somewhere there."
With that, Thulgrun turns and walks towards the kitchen.
You talk with the staff-- who have no idea of who goes where or when among anyoe here.
"We just listen to Miro and that's all."
And when you ask to talk to this Miro--
--"Oh, no you cannot talk to Miro!"
When you ask "Why?", they say--
--to someone in your party's delight!
"Well, because Miro is at-----the market!
He is browsing in town for ingredients."