[ooc]That's a good question. Where are the famers? Do we make a diplomacy check to gather info?[/b]
Laurel will first try to remember what he knows about Hunters ( ) then will ask around to see if he can find out a lead on where to find Farmers ( )...
"Aye- Ah- pardin messir- ya know round here where them Farmers stay at?" to the first person he sees! "Were bein' here on 'fishal business, that is." adding to be what he thinks is further clarification towards answering counter-questions this person / people may have...
Calvus follows along. He feels a bit silly after antagonizing Tamli. Hopefully that was just bad timing and not a reflection of his ability to relate to people.
Laurel had not thought to look "up"...
...And immediately recognizes the brilliant idea of Esha's - wishing now that he was as smart as her! - and follows up the tree to obtain the same vantage point. He says "Well looks like surrounded e'ry dreckshun there be the farms an' course the farmers bein' thet they livin' there - me an my famlee we never took ta no farmin' no ma'am pickin' the wild berries yussir but not to the tendin' o crop proper likin' we kin see from 'ere!" as he considers alternative ways of living for a moment he calls down to Calvus "They be thataway!" pointing in every direction at once.
The lad tumbles down the tree with practiced skill an suddenly remembers (outloud) "Eh where ya think Oosa be got offta?" putting the question to his immediate comrades whether they should choose a farm essentially at random or try and meet back up with the others?
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Esha stops dead in her tracks and looks over her shoulder at Laurel. "Oh, yes! That is a good idea! We should check on Oosa! Make sure that he is not being threatened like we were! He was going back to the inn, yes?! Let's go, let's go!"
The little gnome jumps up and spins in midair, now facing the opposite direction from a moment ago and scampers back toward The Feed Station.
(Laurel follows)
The trip back to the Feedstation is a quick and easy one. Inside you find Oosa sat alone at a table. The large thug from the other night is at another table.
Not long after you enter Delma comes over. "Oh, good you are all here. How are things?"
Calvus shrugs and sits down.
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Esha bursts into the Feed Station.
"Oosa! There you are! How are you? How did things go? Was anyone mean to you? Did you get any information. No one would talk to us, can you believe that! It's like they don't even care at all about helping! They said they were sad, and I understand, but we can't just sit around! Did you find anything out?! Oh hi, Delma! We are here! Do we need to be here? Things are okay, we need to talk to the farmers!"
The gnome bounces around, hopping from one foot to the other or simply bobbing up and down in place on her toes.
In the other ear (poor goblin) "Only Tamli she waz upset because well basically (I don't blame her) Esha says "Is it you thet dunnit?" and she says "Sez that one more time ta my face" and then I busts in an' sez "E'rryone calm it all down" and so then we did but then we had to climb a tree and decided it was the farmers maybe next but what did you find out?"...
Laurel similarly bounces around (on the other side) and awaits Oosa's reply...
Oosa's head had fallen onto the table in dismay. He calmly waited and waited which felt like forever. Upon Esha's loud voice he pops up so fast he nearly falls from the stool he's on, a little bit of spittle oozing from his mouth. "I'm awake, huh what? Oh, I'm waiting for Phenick. I couldn't finds him and told he would be back to work. So here's Oosa..."
Delma nods, "I spoke to Rolth, he says you are helping him with the investigation? After you went to beg, I got to thinking. If he was poisoned, maybe it was something in the food? I asked my cook, Amora, to stay home until we've ruled out something in the kitchens. Would you take a look?"
"We should do both," suggested Calvus.
"My Thanks. I'll show you through to the kitchen, and I can give you some directions to Amora's house." with that Delma moves off towards the Bar, and beyond, the kitchen.
The kitchen is a large room, dominated by an open fire. A huge pot, big enough for Oosa to sit in, hangs over the dead ash of a fire, still containing the turnip pudding you ate last night. A large table stands in the middle of the room, built sturdily of wood. A pile of pots sits next to the sink to be washed.
"Look at everything you need, I don't think much has been touched since the commotion last night, just your breakfast things this morning."
**Grumble** Laurel's stomach speaks to him as he heads straight for the turnip pot "I can 'VestiGate o'er here" he reports, standing over the pudding, and catching a whiff of it's goodness with his sense of smell.
"I can try it see'f still poisoned!?!" the young lad suggests helpfully!
He takes Esha's praise for consent to the idea... and dipping his finger into the pudding, scoops a drammel into his mouth with a crude slurping sound.
And waits!
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Esha holds up the bowl. "This smells - LAUREL, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!?!? THAT MIGHT BE POISONED!!!" She stands holding the bowl, staring at Laurel with her mouth hanging open. "Um....OOSA! OOSA! Help! Help!" What do I do? What do I do? Maybe water?? If he drinks a whole bunch of water, maybe he can flood it out??
She starts looking around for a bucket of water.
Laurel's eyes raise as he bites over a spoon - too late! - as Esha goes into panic mode! His eyes as if to say "sorry!" with his mouth full of delicious turnips!
Calvus stares at Laurel as if he's waiting for something to happen...
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The party rapt, the porridge foul, Laurel dramatically grabs his throat and gasps for air, and falls backwards onto the floor with a choking sound. He spits it out onto the floor, saying "Not quite es good th' second day" as the party looks on, apparently deeply concerned.
"Whu?"...
"Alright," says Calvus gently. "What if we all agree to check with one another before tasting anything unfamiliar from now on. Yes?"
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Laurel lowers his head at the soft if skillful scolding, having not soon forgotten this is the man who used his words (his words!) to calm an entire room...
...kicking his foot at an imaginary rock, a barely audible "Mmkay..."...
Oosa is still waiting for Phinick.
Oosa, who's head had lulled on the table, moved his body towards Esha. With much effort he straightened himself. "I knows medicine. Kinda. I look." he says. Moving up to it, he will look at it, and sniff it and flick some of it against a wall.
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While Oosa examines the bowl, Esha wanders off looking for Delma. If *just* the bowl was poisoned, then it must have happened in the kitchen or on the way to the table...that should limit the suspects, right? I will subtly ask Delma!
"Hi, Delma! When is Phinnik supposed to get here today? Is he late? Who was in the kitchen last night? Who brought Bort the bowl? Laurel tried the turnip pudding and didn't die!"
"Whoah, settle down. I couldn't say who served who last night, it was busy as all hell. Phinnik is due in this evening, but it's not unusual for him to disappear for a day or two when something spooks him, and that fight will have. Fights between "big people" always do."
Laurel begins thinking about places he would hide if he wanted to avoid big people...
"That's a good idea. Maybe if we brought him something as well? A hot meal perhaps?" suggested Calvus.
Oosa drops the bowl back on the table and stumbles several paces back. "ack, no very bad. Sum one wants him dead, real dead. Use violet breath. Bad poison, strong, make you no breath forever. Like Bort. Not common, spensive stuff. Some one rich buys it or someone good at mixing make it.
Anyone good at making chem ickles here?"
Calvus exhaled sharply touching the holy symbol around his neck.
"May the North Star lead us," he whispered.
...he asks Delma "Where ar' the hidin' places round here? I mean he canta gone far cuz ain' this the only town roun' fer miles?" Adding his thoughts to the mix, and thinking where he would hide if he was on the lam "Less check the Bushes!"...
The boy dashes outside and dives immediately into the first bush he sees!
Delma sighs, "He usually sleeps in the barn, he seems comfortable there, but I think your Goblin friend already checked. He could be hiding in one of the deserted houses you probably saw on the way into town, or he could be in a hole in a field. We've never found him when he does run off. But he always comes back."
Dashing back inside, Laurel's ear perks at Delma's mention of "deserted houses" and especially "hole in a field" and he looks around excitedly first at Oosa and Esha before finally settling his gaze on Calvus.
"Then we might definitely need to lure him out with food,"says Calvus.