|
Bella, hit with a sling bullet, scratches her head in pain and moves back toward those nasty women. She then quickly draws and throws a flask of lesser alchemist fire overheard Roark toward Green as retaliation. ”That's for you, *****!” she shouts angrily to Green. She then draws her shortbow.
fire damage plus 1 persistent fire damage plus 1 splash fire damage (and 1 splash fire damage to Red)
◆ Stride
◆ Quick Bomber
◆ Interact to draw shortbow
Fran whips a sling bullet at blue but she's not nearly as nimble with the mundane: the shot misses. She does move closer and keep pointing Roark in the right direction: Nudge sustained.
Bella's wordplay is lost on these young ladies, but before long there's gonna be a tangle!
Nicole advances and tries to lob a long distance fire bomb at Green but due to the distance the vial falls short and the flames splash at green's shoes.
The lady in Red shifts her position before slinging another stone at Roark and reloading. "All yer funny dance moves aren't gonna save ya!"
Meanwhile, Green draws a long razor blade and moves over to show Bella that might does indeed make right. "I said you were getting a cut, and maybe I'll add a bit of red to the color.. looks like yer roots are showin' Missy."
Green -1
---
Fran
Roark
---
Blue
---
Bella (17/21)
Nicole (6/17)
---
Red
The trio of Ladies thought they were in a good place, they had the upper hand in the street fight. They'd barely had a scratch, and then things turned.. quick!
Green gets smashed in the shoulder with a piece of rubble then the dancing bird flutters around her, pecking open a vicious wound in her back. "AHHH! How 'bout a hand with that BIRD girls!"
Almost on cue, the woman in blue rushes out of her hiding spot with a straight razor, slashing at Roark, or at least tries to.
Green -18
---
Fran
Roark
---
Blue
---
Bella (17/21)
Nicole (6/17)
---
Red
Green looked a bit wobbly, then Bella smacks her silly and she's out cold. The other two ladies grit their teeth and fight on.
Green -24 KO'd
---
Fran
Roark
---
Blue
---
Bella (17/21)
Nicole (6/17)
---
Red
Everyone keeps piling on Green, she's down and out of this one, and maybe forever. Her friendly lady in Red though isn't going down so easily! "Oye, Marty was a bit of a mean b+~#* anyhow, even though she was a crack shot with that sling." She draws out her own war razor and tries to give Roark a quick, close shave... feathers fly but no blood is spilled.
Fran
Roark
---
Blue
---
Bella (17/21)
Nicole (6/17)
---
Red
Fran reloads her sling before dropping an old pot of old pot down on blue's head. The dried dirt gets in her eyes as Roark puts his razor sharp beak through her neck, spraying blood all over the street.
Fran
Roark
---
Bella (17/21)
Nicole (6/17)
---
Red
Red's eyes shift nervously side to side, all of her allies down for the count. She takes off on the run, nimbly dodging all the arrows Nicole can shoot in her general direction. "Surrender is for jail birds, running away is a better option!" She high tails it past the two battle dancers.
From the ally where Wiston went you can hear nervous muttering and stumbling and bumbling around "I knew I couldn't trust those Barbers, I better get outta here! But where? I'm surrounded!" He tries crossing a foot bridge but it collapses and he ends up in the sewage ditch.
|
|
"I advise you to use less perfume next time!" Bella watches the woman flee.
She turns to Mister Thunderbeakbird. "I'll have to learn a thing or two from you." She looks at the gash on her shoulder and sighs. "Perhaps over dinner you can teach me a thing or two-" she turns to more pressing matters. "We should check on Wiston. I heard a loud splash in his direction."
As the group gathers over a soaked and nervous looking Wiston the sounds of footsteps can be heard coming down the alley. A half-elven man dressed in local city watch garb quickly comes into view.
"Mind telling me what's going on here?" He asks, hands on his hips and a sly grin hiding beneath a full and glorious mustachio. He looks the group over for a few seconds and quickly interrupts anyone that begins to speak.
"Let me cut straight to it ladies and... Tengu. A number of muggings have been happening in this area lately and while, until now, I haven't been able to get my hands on them, I have been doing some sleuthing.. seems the local Bloody Barber gang has been strong arming some locals into luring victims out here for some unwanted haircuts and blood letting. All it seems to cost are all their valuables, and for the feisty ones, their lives." He climbs down into the ditch and drags Wiston up to street level.
"Looks like this must be the local, and by the sounds of the fight I came looking for, the others must be nearby?" He slaps some cold steel cuffs on Wiston and hands each of you a small sack of coins, for a job well done.
"Nice to see some helpful souls still around. You all have a fine rest of your evening. And be sure to have that head wound looked at Miss." He points to Nicole and the blood caking behind her ears.
|
|
Bella finds all of this even more confounding.
There was no noble involved. Instead it was all a lie? Who are the Bloody Barbers? Sounds like uncouth thieves, no doubt. And this gash on her clavicle isn't going to heal itself. She sighs.
Khiari will want to hear every detail.
"One is unconscious. The other may have stabilized, I'm unsure. One fled." She gives her simple report and turns to Wiston.
Everyone took his story at face value. Is this truly what nobles are known for? Taking goods from their constituents? Bella has been so wrapped up in her mystery she hasn't taken time to reach outside.
She keeps quiet as the constable escorts Wiston and checks on the Bloody Barber Brunettes. Tapping her foot, she turns back to Mister Thunderbird.
"Now then. That dinner I promised you. We should return to the Red Dragon Inn and continue. Madame Flames did order her food a while ago..."
The group, a bit confused at the entire situation, but now with an extra 4 gold pieces in their pockets, make their way back to the Red Dragon Inn to finally enjoy that meal. The crowds have thinned a bit as night has fallen, but the hour is still young and while the travelers may have turned in for an early night, the locals are still enjoying an extended happy hour.
As you make your way inside you see a new posting on the advertisement board just inside the front door:
Travelers heading to Otari seek a group of adventurers of able body and steadfast mind to accompany them onward from Absalom. See the innkeeper, Jakivi Rindix, for more details.
Jakivi raises an eyebrow as he sees you all enter "You're food's long gone, not that I can say the cook was too pleased you scuttled off as fast as you arrived. Give me a good reason, or at least another performance and I'll put a fresh order in for you."
|
|
"Well then..." Bella cocks her head to the side.
She leaps upon the stage, hoots like an owl.
"But lo! The Red Dragon came soaring near!"
"The knights raised their blades, none giving to fear!"
"With a shout, they raised a charge, into the fray!"
"The Dragon could not compete, he flew far far away!"
"The treasure secured, the knights took good care."
She jingles her reward pouch.
"Please tell the cook I am paying for Madame Flames and Mister Thunderbird."
|
"Um, s-sorry," Fran replies sheepishly. "We got offered a job and got a little carried away. It wasn't anything to do with your cook's cooking, honest!"
Though Fran doesn't go quite as far as shaking her coin purse, she does lower her voice slightly as she adds, "And, um, the job didn't turn out quite like we expected but we got paid just the same, so, um, the price isn't a problem."
The patrons at the inn listen on to Bella's theatrical story, blocking out Roark's attempts as a distraction to the real talent. "Hey, let the woman speak, she's got a heck of a way with words I tell ya!" An old man pokes at Roark with a walking stick.
At the conclusion the man behind the bar smiles, waving off Bella's attempts at payment "A story and a poem in one, works for me. Anything to keep the regulars happy and the newcomers intrigued." He takes the group's order and heads back to the kitchen to wrangle the chef. He returns about 20 minutes later with the group's order and some glasses of water.
"Ya know.." He says, rubbing his chin and looking over the weapons and armor of the group "I've got a caravan heading out of town in the morning for a three day trip to Otari... they've been asking around for some able bodied bodyguards, just in case.. scare away any possible wildlife or highwaymen... you guys interested?" He leans in, trying to be charming.
|
|
Bella takes a curtsy and then takes her seat. She eagerly takes the mug of water and stares into the reflection. [smaller]"Are you there, sister? I have much to tell you about the barbers in this region. They clearly do not earn enough..."
The barkeep tries to get her attention as she's mid conversation. "I will defer judgement to my allies." Bodyguards? They need more training.
|
|
"Wow! Thanks a lot, Bella!" Nicole is happy that her food is paid by Bella. She immediately munches on the food served to them, easing her hunger.
"Otari? Havem't beem therm." she says with her mouth full. She immediately takes a glass of water and chugs it before she gets choked. Now kinda relieved, she asks Bella something, "Nice, your sister is there? I want to meet her!" she says as she is mistaken Bella is telling them her sister is there.
"Count me in," she enthusiastically tells the barkeep, now that she is already full.
|
|
"It is the least I can do, Madame Flames." Bella looks up from her mug and crosses her arms.
Ooh! Who was that? Say hello for me!
Bella maintains her composure. "My sister sends her greetings."
"As you wish. We shall accompany the caravan."
"Wonderful!" The barkeep exclaims as the group accepts the mission. "The caravan promises to provide food and board for the three day travel and a 4 gold payout on arrival in Otari, but I suggest bringing your own bedding... the thought of sleeping in someone else's used blankets and pillows.." He leaves it at that, he certainly isn't the one in charge of booking rooms here. "Meet up with the A team at the stables near the western exit from the city, they'll be glad to have you."
Dense fog often blankets the road to Otari coming off the Inner Sea, making it hard to see who else may be lurking nearby. Both skeletons and zombies are known to wander these roads of late, rumored to be the angry remains of warriors and sailors, attacking any travelers they come across.
|
|
Bella checks her gear.
- Pup Tent: check
- Soap: check
- Waterskin: check
- Mirror- wait, where's the mirror?
Back to the Grand Bazaar. "Your finest mirror, please... That will do." She looks at the mirror, smiles at her sister, and then hands a gold piece to the vendor.
"I can't believe I didn't think of this earlier. My apologies."
The next morning our group of sword wielding entrepreneurs head to the stables across town, hoping to secure what should be easy money while they wait for their next Society mission.
Two half-orcs joke with one another as they load supplies into two wagons, each with a team of jet-black horses. The half-orcs are nearly identical down to the stripes on their shirts, though one has her long black hair gathered into a ponytail and the other keeps his cropped short. She looks up and sees the group, tossing a wrench at her brother.
"Ouch, what the hell Arak! If you tell me that crap about dodging wrenches one more time.." He stops as he finally notices the Pathfinders. "Oh, they look like they know what their doing."
She just rolls her eyes and approaches the group. "You must be here for the guard work I'm hoping?" Holding out a hand she introduces her and her brother "I'm Arak, and he's Arek, we're the Graghol twins and we run this little shipping caravan here." Pointing at the teams of horses.
It quickly becomes obvious that Arak is the face of the business. Friendly and chatty while her brother Arek mostly sticks to loading the wagons and dealing with the horses. Before long, you find out just what the bulk of the cargo is: passengers!
Over the next hour three different passengers show up, handing some baggage to the twins and briefly chatting with you all. The first is a half-orc in flowing academic robes. "Fine morning, name's Xanthus Shurgun."
Next to show up is a stocky dwarf "Aye ain't you all the prettiest bunch of guards this fella's ever seen! Name's Eigil Jorgund, you like corn dogs? Lemme tell you about corn dogs!" He slowly, in a long drawn out way, tells you all that he’s a farmer heading into Otari. "Gotta expand the brand my friends, tell everyone ya meet about the amazingness of Eigil's Corn Dogs!"
Last is a tall Varisian woman dressed in a colorful patchwork skirt, its pattern seeming to have no beginning or end. "Hello, I'm Kisaya Sitari, and I must say, what a fine sense of fashion you have Miss..." She gestures to Bella, the finest dressed woman of the group.
|
|
This may be the sharpest, hardest bed Bella has ever slept on. Still, her mirror keeps her busy, sometimes mumbling into it and staring intently on her reflection.
The next morning, Bella has to stare at her mirror, then apply her makeup and fix her dress, then raise it again. "Excellent. Thank you." She snaps it shut and rejoins the team.
The half-orcs mince words while talking to her. Arak is quite affable. "Lady Sidare. Given name Bella." She curtsies. "We will be your protectors today." She tries to remain professional, but the horses are simply fascinating. "My sister and I were equestrians when we were young." She walks up to the horses to check on them.
"What breed are these? They are quite healthy."
Bella hesitates to speak to the passengers, but she warms up to them.
To Mister Xanthus Shurgun, she asks for his area of expertise.
"A corn... dog?" Bella is quite confused. "Mister Jorgund, tell me more of these corn dogs..."
"Lady Sidare. Given name Bella. Pleased to see you Madame Sitari." Bella swallows her pride as she the woman does not know her proper title. Or should she have used a pseudonym? As long as the journey goes well and the pay is good.
She attempts to sing during the trip but it's mediocre. Maybe she's just unused to this crowd.
|
|
"U-um, Fran Rosemont," Fran shyly introduces herself, clearly feeling a little awkward again around so many new - and chatty - faces. "And this is my kitty, Mister Midnight. It's n-nice to meet everyone."
Though she's not really an expert on horses like Bella is, Fran does take a moment to gently give each of them a pat on the muzzle.
"They're pretty," she offers.
She also seems to take an interest in Eigil and his corn dogs. "Oh! Corn dogs make for a good treat," she explains to Bella. "A little meat and a little bread too, so fairly filling if you're hungry. Um, Mister Jorgund? Do you do anything special with your corn dogs?"
"Shire horses." Arek pipes up when asked about the breed, proud of his exceptionally tall work horses. "They can be a bit stubborn sometimes but the driver usually tires before they do, even with a full wagon." He's definitely more chatty when speaking about the business than idle chit chat.
Bella can tell the horses are well cared for and are comfortable in their roles.
---
Eigil's face lights up as the group shows interest in corn dogs "Well, I can't take all the credit, my buddy Karl actually invented corn dogs you know.. I just grow the finest corn dog corn around you see. I try to get him out of the kitchen to help promote it but he'd rather work over new recipes and cooking techniques then gush about his product." He gives a shrug and continues.
"Now Lady Sidare, we don't put dogs in our corn dogs no more than normal folks put devils in their eggs.. just a nice juicy pork sausage in a casing of fried corn meal flour, mmhhmmm. Don't that just get your mouth watering? I'll cook some up tonight over the fire!" He pats Mr Midnight on the back and promises to include him in the taste testing.
Before long the wagon caravan is off, there's space in the wagons (more like covered carriages really) if people want to sit inside, or they can walk along. The horses move at a similar pace.
The day moves along, the wagons rolling steadily down the road through a well traveled but narrow forest path. Sometimes while going over high clearings you can see the sea to the south.
Late in the afternoon Arek directs the wagons into a pull off camping area for the night. "We'll be staying here for the night, looks like a good spot and all I've been doing all day is thinking about corn dogs..." His stomach echoing that last remark.
"Don't kid yourself brother, if it wasn't corn dogs it'd be beans and biscuits, if not that then spicy potatoes n hash.. or maybe some of those hot and spicy dove wings you like so much." She gives him a pesky grin as he tosses an old road apple in her direction.
"Enough already, let's just get these horses squared away while everyone sets up camp maybe?" He mostly looks at the hired guards for this.
"Aye, while you guys do that I'll get a cookin' fire going for some dinner!" Says Eigil.
"I'm going to stretch my legs a bit." Says Xanthus. "Yes, me too." Adds in Kisaya.
The pair return before long and get about setting up their own tents and sitting around the fire while Eigil works on prepping dinner. The sun has fallen behind the trees an the forest starts to get quiet.
"Eigil, have you ever studied the science behind farming?" Asks Xanthus. "I mean, like really attended an academic lecture from a professional on the importance of maintaining a healthy soil structure? The proper ratios of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium?"
Eigil looks up from his bowl of corn meal and sausages, waving away the cloud of smoke "You mean did I learn to farm from city folks with clean nails and soft hands? Can't say I did. I learned the right way, from the farmers before me and they before them. Hard work, sweat, and generations of trial n error Xanthus. Books and lectures don't make good farmers, knowin' how to plant and where to plant is best." He chuckles at bit at the thought.
"Don't don't be so dismissive! Any fool can stick a few seeds in the earth in the spring and come away with corn in the fall. But the key to the best crop is soil science. I'll be giving a lecture on it in a couple weeks, do yourself a favor and attend." Xanthus adds, his tone going from pleasant to haughty and superior.
"HA! And when yer pink skinned mushhead students wanna get their hands dirty and LEARN you can send 'em my way!" The Dwarf retorts, raising his voice and shaking a finger at Xanthus.
Arak and Arek look at each other before Arak whispers towards you all "Best calm those two down before a full on shouting match starts and they rile up the whole forest on our heads!"
|
|
"I am Nicole Flames," she introduces herself albeit late. She has been silent for the most time since morning. But this time, she tries to join the conversation.
"I think Xanthus is right. You just don't have to have strength to sow and harvest. One must learn about the nature of the plant, as well the environment it will be sown. It improves the survival of the plants as well as their yield." Nicole comments in favor of Xanthus.
|
|
"Sausage in corn flour?" Bella has been mulling over this issue for some time. Xanthus and Eigil's argument brings up many good points. "You would both benefit to listen to each other. Formal education does provide a basis to fall back on." She nods to Mister Shurgun. "But you need experience to yield results." She turns to mister Jorgund.
"But if you ask me, why would I ever get my hands dirty?" Bella bites her tongue, realizing she mumbled a bit too loudly.
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
A tall flashily dressed upright bird joins the group. He bows and introduces himself. "Squawk! Roark Thunderbird, at your service. Sorry to be late but I had to pick something up at the Lodge this morning. I see that my fellow Pathfinders have arrived! We will be protecting you during the trip."
Roark points to the shiny new Wayfinder on his hip. The lid appears to be personalized, and carved beside his name is the name "Finn Gumshoe."
Roark steps between the two.
"Look, both approaches are good. But please keep your voices down or you'll attract attention."
|
|
"U-um, the others are right," Fran chimes in. "Both approaches are important. I think that, um, the foundations, the basics, are where you start - learned through trial and error over time. But then, you get a better idea of what works and what doesn't and then you can really start to study why something works or doesn't work. You build on the basics that way. It's like how a lot of m-modern medicines have their basis in old folk remedies..."
"See? Nicole here agrees with me. A learned Lady for sure." Xanthus smiles as the argument shifts in his favor.
Both look on to hear what Bella starts to add until she changes direction mid thought. Their attention quickly lost to the feathery and practical Roark. All three of the passengers quickly lower their voices and look out into the forest. "If we can agree on anything its that." Offers Eigil, focusing his attention on finishing up dinner. Even Xanthus offers to help manage the cleanup.
After dinner Arek reminds the group "Best you all figure out watches for the night, never know what else out there wants some delicious corn dogs.." Camp winds down as people head for their tents.
|
|
Ohmygosh Corndogs? Those sound delicious! Try one, try one!
"Sister, I don't think Mister Jorgund has them available..."
Bella snaps her mirror shut as the conversation comes to a close. "Skilled lecturers, the three of you." Bella thanks her allies. "We should pair off. Perhaps Madame Rosemont and I can take the first half of watch?"