Seeing the crash, Fezzan rushes over to the scene. "Oh wow! Is everyone ok?" He helps where he can and is just amazed that nobody was seriously hurt. When everything starts to settle, he heads over to the Public House to update Auguster on the situation and catch up on any chores that need doing.
Like Sir Eustus, Fezzan's guardian is happy to see him back. Auguster listens to Fezzen's tale of his adventures and seems not to be upset in any way at him missing last night's chores.
"Lad, the rest of the town may be blind to it, but I can see that you are somebody special. You came from nothing and had every reason to be bitter, but you ended up with a good heart, despite my, what could laughably be called, parenting. Maybe this whole affair is your chance to show this town what you're really capable of. Besides, with most of the heavy drinkers out looking for the fugitive, I can manage around here for awhile. Go have your adventure."
The gnome laughs and tosses him a rag. "After you polish the bar, of course!"
As Gunnar and Robert (and Maria too?) come down the stairs into the common room of the inn with Mistress Numidia, they see Randal sitting at a table, knocking back what looks to be his third brandy. His hands are still shaking as he lowers his cup to the table.
He rubs at his forehead as he stands. "Good morning, Mistress Numidia. I was on my way to see you about this headache when that coach broke loose. How's your dad, Mr. Gunnar?"
”Sir Eustus, I am so, so sorry,” Euda replies earnestly. “I wanted terribly to come back last night but… well, we’d wandered pretty far from town. We were tracking some missing dogs—it turns out a lot of dogs have gone missing recently—and these ones were way out, but then some of the other people had camping stuff because, apparently, some people around here just carry that with them all the time, just in case. So, they decided we should camp out instead of walking in the dark, and Gunnar let me use his tent and his cot—he’s nice, probably the nicest of all of them, even though he was kind of harsh to the nosy wizard girl—but we got attacked by boars during the night and now I think everyone knows that we probably should have come back instead. I hope you weren’t too worried, or mad…”
”Oh my dear Euda. I could never be mad at such a display of courage. I won’t claim not to have been worried, of course. If you are intending to continue galavanting around the countryside, we should make certain you are properly equipped. You may need one of your friends to help you carry some of it, or we could get you a donkey. How much gear do you already have?”
Robert looks at Randal and says "You better stop drinking that stuff. You know it goes to your head! It will only make your headache worse. I am going to go see Rebecca and then we can all meet up in the green and get back on these dogs' trail." He then heads out and heads to Rebecca's house.
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My father will recover with some tending by the healer. I wil need help righting the coach and getting it to the carpenter for repair and getting the horses stabled safely and then we must find these dog thiefs as of course I will still lend a hand since you all so kindly lend me your own Gunnar says
Maria keeps out of the way. She reclines against a wall, watching as Robert scolded the brandy drinker and left to see most likely his lover. In the meanwhile she'd stick with the outsider, petting Jervis as he furrowed up at the top of her cloak before her chest
Touched by Auguster's kind words, Fezzan feels himself tearing up a bit. Quickly grabbing a clean bar rag, he mutters a thanks and devotes his attention to making the bar top gleam, while his emotions settle. Task complete, he detours to the kitchen to filch himself a bite to eat and makes his way back outside to find the others.
"Gear?!?" Euda replies with surprise, "I don't have any camping things... aside from the clothes in my room, I have this armor and dagger, that's all. Do you really think they mean to camp out again? I suppose if whoever is taking the dogs is more than a day's walk away we'd have no choice if we're going to find them."
"I hate to impose though, Sir Eustus... would you even have any need for a donkey after the crimes are solved, if we got one to carry a tent and cot and things?"
"Gear?!?" Euda replies with surprise, "I don't have any camping things... aside from the clothes in my room, I have this armor and dagger, that's all. Do you really think they mean to camp out again? I suppose if whoever is taking the dogs is more than a day's walk away we'd have no choice if we're going to find them."
"I hate to impose though, Sir Eustus... would you even have any need for a donkey after the crimes are solved, if we got one to carry a tent and cot and things?"
”Consider it an investment in your future career as an adventurer. How about you just promise me that, many years from now, when you’re plundering your first dragon hoard, you cut me in on a piece of the action.”
He gives Euda a small pouch of coin and the names of a couple farms which might have a donkey for sale. The dry goods store in town would have the rest of the supplies you want.
Randal slaps his forehead, then winces, wishing he hadn't done that. "Right, you were asking if I'd seen Rebecca. I'm pretty sure she was over at the school an hour ago, so she might still be there."
"An adventuring career?!?" Euda answers in shock. "I can't imagine that's what my parents had in mind for me, although... I'm sure they hadn't planned to die so early either... But, I don't know the first thing about adventuring. Do I just buy camping supplies and go wherever the adventure takes us? How do I know when its time to come home? And how will I wash my clothes, or my self?"
Sir Eustus laughs delightedly. "Oh my dear Euda, to go on an adventure is planned spontaneity. You and your new friends are investigating some missing dogs, correct? You have been looking for clues, and presumably found a trail or some such thing that took you off into the woods. I'm sure you will continue in just such a vein. Go where your discoveries take you, be mindful of the creatures and challenges you face that you don't get in over your head, and always leave yourself an escape route just in case. You come back to town when you need to restock supplies or receive healing. As for washing, I wouldn't recommend bathing in the lake or river this early in spring, but a little grime never hurt anyone."
Maria waits somewhat patiently, puking out a small book entitled "Failures and Sucesses of Andoran Independence" on the cover. She'd move to the page in which a ribbon was stuffed neatly down inside and resume where she had left off.
"Okay..." Euda answers with some lingering uncertainty, "follow the clues, come back when we need supplies, and just be grimey like that smelly farmboy. That doesn't sound too hard..."
Clutching the coin purse, she smiles nervously and adds, "thank you, Sir Eustus, I shall go and have an adventure, but I'm not promising to make a career out of it, or to plunder any dragon hoards just yet."
After saying her goodbyes, she heads back to town, stopping at a farm along the way to buy a donkey with a bridle and lead and a set of saddlebags. She names him Fred and as they walk together to the village she tells him about Sir Eustus' flowers and how he must be certain not to eat them when they get back there some day. In town she heads to the general store to buy a tent, a cot, a blanket, some trail rations, a waterskin, a bucket, and two sets of nice traveling clothes (one of which she changes into right away). Once Fred is properly loaded up, she hunts down her new acquaintances.
The carpenter's house is a small but well-built cottage situated in the southeast corner of the street known as the Loop (the street which loops around the cathedral). Covered workbenches line the sides and back of the building and the yard is thick with sawdust, though the carpenter doesn't seem to have any current projects on the go. Heading around back, as Tomos prefers visitors and clients to do, you see a pair of boots sitting next to the rear door, thick with still-wet mud. The rear door is slightly ajar, and you can hear movement inside.
"Okay..." Euda answers with some lingering uncertainty, "follow the clues, come back when we need supplies, and just be grimey like that smelly farmboy. That doesn't sound too hard..."
Clutching the coin purse, she smiles nervously and adds, "thank you, Sir Eustus, I shall go and have an adventure, but I'm not promising to make a career out of it, or to plunder any dragon hoards just yet."
After saying her goodbyes, she heads back to town, stopping at a farm along the way to buy a donkey with a bridle and lead and a set of saddlebags. She names him Fred and as they walk together to the village she tells him about Sir Eustus' flowers and how he must be certain not to eat them when they get back there some day. In town she heads to the general store to buy a tent, a cot, a blanket, some trail rations, a waterskin, a bucket, and two sets of nice traveling clothes (one of which she changes into right away). Once Fred is properly loaded up, she hunts down her new acquaintances.
Entering the Dry Goods Store, Euda sees a young woman working the counter while a young man in an apron restocks a shelf with jars of preserves from a crate on the floor.
A girl around the same age as Euda, though who couldn't be more different, carries a small cask of salt over to the counter. The girls is incredibly strong, with massive arm muscles. Her clothes are dirty, and her bare arms show soot smudges and several scars. She turns as Euda comes into the shop, then pointedly ignores her and returns to her purchase.
Assa Graccus, the shopkeeper, is happy to help Euda find everything she needs and carries the wares out for her, showing her how to properly load Fred with supplies. As Euda comes out of the shop, she sees Gunnar (and possibly Robert and/or Maria) just making the turn around the Loop behind the cathedral. It would only take her a few minutes to catch up with them at Tomos the carpenter's house.
Euda pays close attention to the right way to load Fred up, making sure she'll be able to replicate it later. Once he's ready she leads him off behind the cathedral to catch up with Gunnar. When she finds him at the carpenter's house, she decides not to interrupt his business but stops close by to wait for him. When he looks over at her she smiles and gestures toward Fred like an excited child showing off her new donkey and adventuring gear.
Maria had decided to follow Gunnar out, avoiding staying with Robert more for her own safety and distrust than lmfavoring of Gunnar. A stranger was easier to work with anyway in the long run. She'd continue to read her book as she walked, nodding to Euda as she returned with a cart.
There’s a muttered curse from inside as the occupant drops something at Gunnar’s knock. A bit of sliding stuff around and the door opens, revealing a half-orc with well-muscled arms and a slightly greenish tinge to his skin, and only revealing the carpenter as he otherwise keeps the door as closed as possible.
”A repair job? I’m a bit swamped at the moment, but tell me about it and I’ll see if I can fit it in.”
”Oh, the coach at the inn? Yeah, I should be able to get to it in a couple days or so. I guess if the coach driver broke his leg he won’t be driving it anywhere for at least that long.”
Tomos pauses nervously for a moment, then asks, ”Is that all you need?”
”Sure, sure. No problem. Now, though, I’m pretty busy today. Lots of jobs to finish up today.”
Maria wondered if there was a spell that could just repair the wagon, and maybe one that allowed her to get away from this town as well. However, she suspected that she was stuck here for the time being, a hand going over to her eye as if a sudden pain had been felt but no expression of pain on her face. Neither was there any pain at all as she blinked it a few times before taking a deep breath.
Yeah you can. They’ve been talking for a bit now.
Tomos is definitely nervous. Euda remembers hearing that he’s a nervous fellow, but this seems a bit much. He’s definitely trying to get rid of you.
Robert claps Tomos on the shoulder and says "Gunnar is trying to help the town out and his father got injured while here. Nothing you're working on can't wait a few minutes. Come look at the coach and see what you can do."
Tomos flinches at Robert’s backslap. ”Fine, I can look, but I am too busy to start today.”
While Tomos is distracted with Robert, Euda moves up next to Gunnar and whispers in his ear, “he’s trying to get rid of us, there’s something he doesn’t want us to find out… and he’s got a big backpack full of camping supplies on the floor behind him.”
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When Tomos turns around Gunnar bumps the table hard and spills the camping gear without an ounce of bluff in him and says oh my silly me what a clumsy man I am and he looks over the items and his eyes move up to Tomos with some less kindness. Robert, perhaps you might tell me to whom Tomos here is related to and married to if you please?
Knocking the camping gear over causes several packages of burlap-wrapped meat and dried fish to spill out. Angrily, Tomos growls under his breath as he repacks his gear.
”Hey! What’s the big idea? I will get to the coach when I can and when I can is when I get back from my camping trip. Now leave me alone!”
As far as Robert knows, Tomos has no family or spouse. He arrived in town just after the sickness had faded and took over for the town carpenter who had just died of it.
It is. Fezzen would be able to find the group with a quick word at the inn for directions to where they’ve gone.
"Planning a trip Tomos?" she asks in a nonchalant fashion, best not to make things worse but knowing how she was treated around here anything could provoke a reaction.
”Going fishing. Be back in a few days, then I’ll fix the coach.”
”You’re going fishing while all those people are out looking for a dangerous criminal? That doesn’t make any sense…” Euda answers incredulously.
”That’s my business, isn’t it?”
”Again, that’s my business, now I’ll be back to repair the coach in a few days, so good morning to you all.”
Whether or not you take his subtle hint to go pound sand, Tomos ignores you from this point on unless you decide to actually physically assault the man. He fixes up his backpack, which is clearly laden with camping supplies and food, including meat, stomps his feet into his still muddy boots and locks his door.
With a final muttered, "Good day," he walks off, heading for the north road.
Fezzan comes upon the group and catches the end of the altercation with Tomos.
"Well that was a bit odd. Hardly seems to be the time to be gallivanting out in the wilderness."
Watching Tomos walk off, he adds, "So do we follow him, or should be just go back to where we encountered the boars to pick the trail back up?"
Fezzan’s never known Tomos to go camping before. He’s usually a steady, private fellow. Fezzan’s seen him many times, as he performs in the Public House most Moondays.