Zaranna carries the basket, and thankfully, Zaranna blessed her with some inspiration, and she knew what to do. She motions the group to come along, and asks
Larissa, do you know someone named Kristoff? We're looking for him. This is Alric. Kristoff is his brother.
Larissa's hand instinctively went for her pregnant belly as she stopped walking. Turning to look again at Alric, this time more closely, she said, "Now I see it. You are definitely related to Kristoff." Facing the Aasimar Elf again, "I haven't seen him in a couple of days. He not in trouble is he?"
No, not at all. We actually wanted to make sure he was safe.
Larissa breathed a sigh of relief, "I don't know if he is or not. As I said, I haven't seen him in a couple of days. You might try The Miner's Respite, someone there may have seen him."
That sounds like a good idea... hold on a sec and I'll see if Alric and the others want to go over there now.
Zaranna pulls the group aside and says
Kristoff might be at the Miner's Respite. This woman is from my dreams. I know some of her life and what is going to happen. Part of it involved Kristoff showing up with a basket of apples.
She looks meaningfully at the basket of apples in her own hands.
Go see if you can find him, and tell him that I'll leave the basket outside the shop for him to bring in. Tell him... tell him that he just has to come by and bring the apples, not stay. If he does, things can work out with her and with her father, in time. I need to talk to her further, but I'll meet you at the Miner's Respite afterward and explain everything, okay?
She returns to Larissa, and as they continue to walk, Zaranna asks
When is your baby due?
If the time coincides with her dream, then she asks additionally
This is going to sound strange, Larissa, but... have you had a dream about making armor?
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Alric listened in curiously for the time being. The woman knew his brother and it made his heart lift. At least he was still himself a few days ago. Zaranna continued to take the lead, an action that made Alric's brow furrow for a bit before she finally pulled them all aside and began to explain what was going on.
"She was from your dream?" Alric murmured, looking back at the woman for a moment. Their dreams have all been varied, different, and strange. Some were peaceful and some of them were threats. Whether this was the former or the latter, it was impossible to tell. Zaranna believed it to be a good thing and with a solemn nod, he would place his hand on her shoulder. "I'll do as you ask. We'll find my brother. Keep this woman...safe." As an oracle, the woman's gifts were strange and beyond mortal ken. He would need to have faith that they were being aided in some way against the enemy and not just being led into a trap.
Waiting only for a moment to see who else would join him, Alric would make his way into Ruby Hollow. He expected asking just a few locals would point him in the right direction of the Miner's Respite and his dear brother.
As they approach the town, Cardren remains at the back of the group, acting as a rearguard. He has a smile on his face, greeting strangers with a nod.
With their encounter with the pregnant woman, Cardren listens to Zaranna, glancing at Larissa. He has a slight frown on his face, unsure how to process the news that the woman is from Zaranna’s dreams. He scratches an eyebrow, nodding along with Alric’s words.
”I’ll help you find the tavern, Alric,” the monk says. ”Where should we find you Zaranna when we’ve found the tavern or Kristoff?”
You managed to find the tavern with little difficulty. The building is at least three stories tall with incredibly impressive stonework decorating the outside. Upon entering you see why the building is so large, it is unbelievably busy with what you believe to be the mining crews for the local mine. The bar itself was placed in the exact center of the room and manned by at least four people, two humans, a gnome, and a dwarf. The air was an amazing mix of mead and spiced meats. You could see why this place was popular.
Larissa gave you a strange look, "She's due in a couple of months. Why do you ask?"
When Zaranna asked if she'd dreamed about armor, the woman stopped in her tracks. "Yes. Wait are you a smith as well?"
Yes, I am a smith, and an oracle. If you would be kind enough to listen to me with an open mind, I believe the gods may have sent me here to help you. See, while traveling here this is the dream I had. I was a young woman standing at a forge...
If Larissa is open to it, she will recount her dream about being Larissa... working on armor and needing to get it done before the baby comes, of Kristoff coming with apples, her father getting angry, telling Kristoff to go for now, what she said to her father, and then (as Zaranna in the dream) trying to figure out what she knew of this woman so she could perhaps find her again... the mother being taken in the Drake attack, meeting Kristoff, and the dream about making armor.
She is careful to be as kind and open as possible, knowing that in order to help her, she had to convince her this was real.
Zaranna pauses there, allowing Larissa to absorb the information and think about it, but intends on telling her what she asked Alric to do, if the woman doesn't react negatively to the whole thing and start running away of course.
Oh, okay, sure. Whatever you need.
She continues on with Larissa to help her with the armor.
Okay. I'll just help you home with the apples and then go see if I can find him.
And she does so.
Elyana saw the town ahead and felt great relief and trepidation all at the same time. She'd never been to this place before and she was always nervous going to new towns.Her hood was pulled forward to help hide her face and she decided to stay silent for now. Fidning another person from one of their dreams did not shock Elyana, they had found one from her's after all. With the group splitting up Elyana stuck with Alric and Cardren.
The rich scent of mead and spiced meats were a welcome treat. There was nothing like a well-run tavern and while Alric enjoyed the solitude of the forests, he could not deny there was something wonderful about a tavern's warmth. Pushing back the dark hood, Alric smiled at the scene in front of him before making his way towards the bar in the middle of the room. He was not pushy at all, making his way to a stool before nodding at whichever bartender was free for his business.
"This place is great. A mug of mead and some spiced meats and bread, please." As much as he enjoyed the forest's fare, trail rations and berries could only provide so much enjoyment. Travelling meant most hunts had to be simple and easy to cook, no rich game for them. Paying the coin for the meal , he would lean in to the barkeep. "Have you seen my brother? A bit younger than me, arrived a few months ago. Kristoff Ludwig? I'm looking for him in regards to family business." Alric offered the friendliest smile he could muster and hoped that the barkeep was trusting of strangers from out of town.
One of the human servers came to the Ranger for his order. When asked the question about Kristoff she thought for a moment, "Kristoff Ludwig? Can't say that I've seen him for a few days," She looked about the tavern for a moment then pointed to a very muscular elf, "That's his Crew Boss though. Goes by the name of Celethanak, maybe he has more insight."
Before Alric could get up the barkeep says, "Your meal will be ready in 10 minutes. It will be six copper. Would you like it here or at a table?"
"I'll take it at a table, if you don't mind." Alric said, leaving two pieces of silver behind as payment and a tip as he made his way over towards where the muscular elf was. He would wait for a lull in conversation if there was one, clearing his throat as he nodded towards the man.
"Celethanak? May I borrow a moment of your time?" Gesturing to a seat at the table, Alric would sit down before continuing to talk. "I hear you are my brother's crew boss. I'm Alric, Kristoff Ludwig's brother. Have you seen him or know where he is?"
Celethanak leaned in closer to Alric, "I'd be careful who ya ask bout yer brother there mate. Many miners tend ta think he's involved." The elf leaned back and polished off his mead.
”I’ll take an order too,” Cardren says handing six coppers to the man. His eyebrows knit in confusion as Alric hands the man two silver coins.
When they go over to the Crew Boss, Cardren stands behind Alric. He smiles at the elf and says, ”Prynhawn Da.” He mostly looks around at the other customers to see if anyone is listening to their conversation.
The elf looked up at the monk with an incredulous look on his face, "Tis evenin' mate." Setting his mug down he raised his hand to order another one.
Through the door came Zaranna. She saw Alric and Cardren over at one table. Then she saw Elyana and Fel......
Zaranna slides into a seat where Elyana and Fel are. So, did we find out anything yet?
The news brought a frown to Alric's face as his fists tightened up ever so slightly. It was not the news he was hoping for. Zaranna's words had given him hope that maybe things were alright and not going as poorly as he had imagined they could be. That hope was now dwindling slowly.
"Missing, you say? Damn. What about these...Dirt Gargoyles. I don't think I've heard of them." Alric would listen to the description of them and to recall information about them or something close to them. Nodding at Cardren, he would welcome the man at the table with him before he noded. "He's a friend of mine. We've all had a bit of growing up in Swampwood."
"Why would people think he is involved with them? Just a timing thing or something more?" Alric asked, trying to not betray the nervousness in his voice.
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Getting his new mug of mead the elf downed a third of it before describing the little bastards.
"As ta ya brother mate, timin mostly. He disappeared in a tunnel our crew mining and a couple days later dem Dirt Gargoyles start harassin us." He finished his drink and took a couple of tries to stand. "Ya may want ta talk wit the Head Mine Boss in da mornin. Maybe he let ya in da mines." Looking at the rest of the table, "Come on crew." Leaning on a human woman that looked as though she worked the mines as well, the pair stumbled out of the tavern with the rest of the crew.
When they are back together Zaranna updates the group about what happened with her.
... so, basically I need to get back with Larissa in a couple of days, but my priority for now is the same as yours: finding Alric's brother.
”Evening!" he says in Common to the miners. ”It has been a while since I’ve spoken Elvish. Can you point us to where Kristoff lived, or who his friends are?”
He turns his attention back to Alric once the miners leave. ”Dirt gargoyles?” he pauses as he thinks
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Elyana shook her head and said, "I haven't Zaranna. But then I've been trying not to draw too much attention to myself."
”I wonder if they call earth mephits, dirt gargoyles here,” Cardren says. ”Wouldn’t surprise me if a town on the other side of the mountains has another name for them too.”
Cardren looks around the room again, seeing what the miners like to do in their downtime. ”Alric, what kinds of things did your brother like to do? Did he have hobbies? If he liked singing, maybe there’s a tavern for that. Or if he liked horse racing, maybe there’s a stable that organizes races.”
As the elven man and his crew depart, Alric waves for the others in his group to join them at the table. Food would be coming and it would be rude to let such delicious delights go to waste. When Cardren calls them earth mephits, he nods softly in agreement.
"I believe they're one in the same. Lots of places have local names or a name just sticks. Dirt gargoyles fits well enough here." The ranger murmurs, clasping his hands together as he thinks softly.
"Kristoff was always the quiet twin. That night had an effect on him and he turned inwards. We were close...in a quiet way. He didn't take on the training to be a ranger though, a decision the family respected." Alric ponders over things a little more, nodding at Cardren's suggestion. "He liked to construct and build things. I think he had hoped to have that elf's job at some point. He wouldn't be anywhere...loud or disruptive. He liked being on his own, solitude gave him peace."
One of the servers delivered Alric's food and mead. It tasted as amazing as it smelled.
Alric let out a soft sound of pleasure at the taste of meat that then melted in his mouth. Things were strange, dangerous even, but that did not mean that he should not enjoy the bits of life he had to enjoy. Adruuc was the Great Hunter and while one should never kill for sport, it did not mean that one could not enjoy the satisfaction of a good hunt. The mead was sweet and refreshing, bringing a wide smile to his face as he gestured to his comrades.
"You all should eat. We deserve it and who knows when we'll next have a chance to." Alric murmured, a bit distracted by the meal in front of him.
Alric stops eating for just a moment, the spoon hovering in the air as his eyes survey the room. Finishing his bite, he purrs in delight and smiles at Elyana.
"Rydyn ni'n cael ein gwylio" He says quickly in Elven, his eyes moving in the direction of where their little voyeur was watching them.
When Alric says in Elven that they are being watched, Zaranna looks up from her meal to see what he is talking about. Following his eyes, she sees a gnome that is perhaps a little too curious. She watches him to see if there is a mark on his hand.
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Cardren doesn’t follow Alric’s visual clue for now. He takes a sip of his water. ”Do you think he is a servant of our old friend?” he asks in Common. He hopes they understand who he means.
Shifting to the edge of his seat, he checks the room for exits, windows, and potential combatants. His fingers linger on the edge of his plate, ready to throw it.
"Not sure." Alric says, finishing his drink and standing up from the table. "Only one way to really find out though." He'd throw his hood over his head, nodding for a moment. "If he follows me, follow him. If he doesn't, enjoy your food and then when you go, I'll follow him. Please make sure that there is a nice inn we can stay at, yeah?" Alric asks of the party before making his way out of the tavern and into the cool air of the night.
He doesn't wait for long before he moves into one of the alleyways across from the tavern, the dim light covering him. As he moves, he finds the cloak to oddly move for a moment. It was as if the shining moonlight and dim light shining through dirty windows was being swallowed around him. Crouching low, his cloak encompassed him with darkness and he would fade from sight.
Zaranna gets up and moves over to Cardren, at which point she whispers something to him.
No marks on his wrists, so I hope that means he is not being controlled, but not sure if that means not connected.
She then sits back down, but doesn't touch her food, instead tightening the string on her bow, and getting ready to leave.
Finishing his drink and meal, the Gnome then headed upstairs. Or attempted to as he only got up two steps before his drunkenness seemed to get the better of him and he tumbled back to the floor. A nearby half-orc woman looked over and shook her head before hoisting the Gnome on one shoulder and took him up. She returned alone two minutes later and continued her revelry.
Maybe he was just thinking of asking Fel out?
She finishes her meal and then goes outside to see if she can spot Alric and see if he did indeed find them an inn.
Zaranna spots Alric, but he looked like he was trying to hide, so she walked past the alley, commenting out loud to noone
Off to find an inn... and then scouted around to find one with room for all of them.
Alric notices the movement off to the side of a blade glinting in the night, a small figure scaling up to the inn nearby. His stomach drops at the timing of these things. His fists tighten for a moment, eyes focusing on Zaranna again. He fought with his mind for a moment before cursing quietly to himself and darting out from the cover of the alleyway.
"Upstair room in the inn. Eastern side. There's someone breaking in." He quickly says to Zaranna (and anyone else who came out to join her) before moving to scale the wall himself in pursuit of the assailant.
When Alric talks to her, Zaranna's plans change and she runs back into the bar.
She says
Assassin coming up the wall outside!
She motions for everyone to join her as she runs up the stairs, trying to get to the easternmost room before the assassin can harm anyone.
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Elyana nodded in agreement with the plan and let Alric go. She noticed the gnome start to rise and then fall down drunk. She rolled her eyes and watched the half-orc pick the gnome up and take him to his room before coming back downstairs.
Once Zaranna rose to head to the inn Elyana got up to go with her. She looked up when the "assassin was spotted climbing the inn. She made sure she was within range and cast a spell. From her outstretched hands a sixty foot long blast of air shot at the climbing assassin.
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Cardren goes to the base of the wall, ready to grab the assassin if he falls due to Elyana’s spell. If the assassin isn’t knocked off the wall, Cardren will begin to climb in pursuit.
Alric managed to climb up just enough to grab the figure's ankle, thus allowing Elyana's spell to completely blast them off of the wall. While the Ranger managed to maintain his grip on the wall, the assassin fell hard to the ground. Cardren immediately had the little guy pinned.
”Don’t struggle,” Cardren says. ”Answer our questions or you’ll regret it.” He increases the squeeze he has on the assassin’s wrist.
Zaranna finally realizes that no one followed her and that she is making a scene for no reason. She asks the barkeep who is staying in the eastern room, and (if she gets that information), she comes outside to share it with the others.