"Ladies choice", Zaidel bends low in a bow.
---
"One glass for now. I'm Zaidel. One of Cayden's clerics. What is your name?"
Not sure if, within this new body, he needs to control his sugar ingest, and not having a way to check his glucose anyway, Jeler decides to take the middle approach - one beer is okay, all beer you can drink seems a bit too much.
"I'll have one of those tap beers, thank you, and something solid as well."
Still wrapping back all what he has got in the boxes, he quietly asks Zaidel. "I'm surprised at the openness of their business" he points at the ladies. "Where I come from its not as well seen. Is that the norm here?"
He's not really interested in using their services, but not offended also - as long as their not forced into that.
Sir Drystan takes another mug and works on his third ale, cheering others on to match his three.
She says with a bit of surprise, "Fangberry it is, oh, I thought you knew, Aurora Rose."
Seeing the man walk up and ask he relays a bit of confusion hoping Zaidel will start talking, "Ummm I think Zaidel wanted to talk to you."
He goes and brings back four mugs in each hand. He does this several times so there is plenty to drink at the table. He downs an ale each time.
On his fourth trip and fourth chugged ale he says, "Keep them coming!"
She notices and speaks up, "I think we were wanting to join Cayden Cailen's Familia, right Zaidel?"
She is not getting drunk for the fun of it and just sips her ale. When Zaidel brings over the wine she downs her pint and asks for some wine.
He quickly says, "And why would you be joining the Familia? I mean I know why most want to join but there are a few requirements and are you even strong enough to try the trials?" He figits with some of his rings as the analyzes your group.
She notices and speaks up, "I think we were wanting to join Cayden Cailen's Familia, right Zaidel?"
"You better believe it!" Zaidel speaks to Mia, with trepidation and excitement. He rest his hand on her shoulder as the cleric stands to meet the new person.
"Good evening, Mr. Spade, I presume!" Zaidel holds out his hand to shake.
"Not all of us want to join Cayden's Familia, but some of us do."
Oh God, Cayden! More trial? The satyr tries to hide his disappointment in his eyes. Is this another opportunity to fail before you, Cayden?
He takes Zaidel's hand and gives it a hefty shake. Then he says, "Just Spade, or Spade of Steel, or Captain Steel as most of my Familia members call me. Your first task is to go to the Dwarven tavern of The Iron Forge and get a Willer's Elven wine. If you are serious about joining. Bring that back and then you only have two more tasks. Then again we could skip the tasks and trials and go straight to the final test. A simple test of faith?"
He exclaims and joins in, finishing the pint in his hand, "Oh! Yes I want in on that action, do we all need to bring back a bottle of Willer's Elven wine or one for the group? We could just go to the final test, it can't be as bad as Zeus's. That would be well in the past, don't worry about it."
He wonders and asks, "Oh how many of you would like to join? I would make it easy for you, just one bottle should do fine."
You believe Spade is having a joke and you don't know the punchline.
She says simply from her seat and raising her pint to help get his attention, "Four at least, myself, Matthew, Mia and Zaidel. Unless someone else was interested too?"
She asks the group before throwing out her name, "Jean and Jon what are your thoughts? Spade what are you not telling us?!"
"Spade, my group and I just discovered several relics of the faith. I fought and lost to a hound archon. With all due respect, I've done my trials, and been found wanting."
"My name is Zaidel the Beneficient, cleric of Cayden Cailean. And if you're serious, I want to take the Final Test." The satyr looks deep into Spade's eyes, resolute.
He bursts out laughing, once he recovers he lays it out for you, "You got me miss. The dwarves would be furious if you even asked about Elven wine in their establishment. Willer is also the name of their head beer crafter, so just throwing a bit of salt into their faces at the same time. I wanted to see how your group handles yourself against dwarves in a bar fight."
He exclaims in response to Zaidel, "Oh! Now starting with the relic would have helped your case, let me see it. I will have my sorcerer take a look at it. Aurora at the bar. But as it sounds like you are serious just follow me and the test shall begin." We walks backwards a few steps before turning around and leading those who want to join to the stairs that lead down. At the bottom he taps a few bricks and they move to the side forming a doorway that was not there a few seconds ago. You see a corridor lit with torches beyond the doorway. You can see the straw and common room for the commoners who need to sleep off their drunkenness. He motions and says, "In you go, I will be right behind you."
As you go in you feel magic pulse over you and then the lights go out. The lights come back on and you are by yourself.
---
As you step forward you feel like there is a floor to this room, do you open your eyes?
---
You make it to the next room and see there are three cups on a table, Spade's voice speaks, "You must choose which one best represents Cayden Cailen and drink from it." There is a wooden mug, a golden chalice, and a glass pint with a metal handle. There are no symbols on the cups.
---
As you step forward you feel like there is a floor to this room, do you open your eyes?
---
You make it to the next room and see there are three cups on a table, Spade's voice speaks, "You must choose which one best represents Cayden Cailen and drink from it." There is a wooden mug, a golden chalice, and a glass pint with a metal handle. There are no symbols on the cups.
---
A you leap the distance you see that you would not have made it but land on hollow wood. The floor must be an illusion or something as you can feel the wooden planks below your feet.
---
You make it to the next room and see there are three cups on a table, Spade's voice speaks, "You must choose which one best represents Cayden Cailen and drink from it." There is a wooden mug, a golden chalice, and a glass pint with a metal handle. There are no symbols on the cups.
She keeps her eyes closed the whole way until Jock barks. She is holding him in her arms and petting him.
---
At the next room as she bops into the table. She opens her eyes hears what Spade has to say and then asks Jock, "You are my mentor which do you think is the best fit for Cayden? Ah the wooden mug, sounds good." Then she drinks from it.
---
He thanks Cayden, "Cayden thanks for the support, I am glad you are watching."
Finding the room with the table and cups he listens and then thinks...
Then he drinks from the Mug.
She opens her eyes and is surprised by still no floor, and yet she is walking on it...
---
Seeing the table and cups she listens to Spade explain. Then she walks up and thinks to herself out loud, "How would Cayden do this... yup a coin, heads and I will drink from the golden goblet." She pulls out a coin and continues, "Cayden Cailen please let your luck shine upon me." Then she flips it and it comes up tails. She repeats for the glass pint... tails. She flips it for the wooden mug and it comes up heads. She drinks from the wooden mug.
Now, I think I can jump that at a run. First I'll use summon nature’s ally III to summon a gorrila on the other side to help catch me.
Or since Spade told us this was a test of faith, this is looking more like a Indiana Jones and The Holy Grail-type of situation here.
Zaidel takes off his silver holy symbol and looks at it. Even if you reject me, I will still serve and love you, Zaidel prayer quietly to his god.
With a song in his heart, Zaidel closes his eyes and begin to walk.
While the rest seem excited about some kind of ritual, Jeler opens the notebook he found in the first loot box and has a look at it. Maybe they explain what the black key is for!
Next you come to a room with three cups on a table. Spade's voice speaks, "You must choose which one best represents Cayden Cailen and drink from it." There is a wooden mug, a golden chalice, and a glass pint with a metal handle. There are no symbols on the cups.
He casually says to Jean, "Requirements? We may ask that you help with a major event of evil doing, though there are no requirements. Most of it is very casual. Besides Aurora, I am the only member of the Familia here. I mean the more you help us we help you. We would be a family after all."
Seeing he's still clueless, Jeler addresses whoever's not involved in the ritual, or the redhead bartender if all his new friends are busy.
"Hi! Erm... Listen, I'm new to this... You probably see a lot of chosen around. Do you happen to know anything about Loot boxes? Could you have any idea what is this meant for?" he says, showing the key and the notebook and hoping she doesn't answer 'to open a lock'.
Sir Drystan, Whisper, Jon, and Angelica are all still drinking and waiting. Whisper shrugs but offers, "There is a bunch of random things you gain from those Loot boxes. The keys are typically to something. Sometimes the items are magical but half of them are cursed."
Spade is at the bar, as you collect around him he offers, "Make Cayden proud."
As Jeler asks Aurora the red headed bartender she says, "Yeah I have opened some, it is strange to get literally anything to randomly generate." She then casts detect magic and with blue glowing eyes she says, "The notepad and key are not magical. I had a key once it opened a chest nearby that was filled with coins. Though your key kinda looks like mine." She pulls out her key ring, then shows an identical key. Then she offers, "You aren't going to need it, how about I give you a few gold for it, I would like to have a spare."
It's very hard to say no to the redhead cutie, but Jeler doesn't really want to give away the key only to later find out that he needs it to unlock another situation. He's played enough RPGs.
"I... think I'll keep it for now." He's trapped between going on with the conversation and leaving. Finally he decides to opt for the middle ground. "Where could I sell all that I found in the box and I don't want to keep? You seem very well informed..."
Zaidel looks around to help identify where the group is.
"If it is a magical item you could sell it to some of the emporiums. Most other merchants won't have credit or enough coins on hand. Then you can sell the mundane items to hawkers or the merchants on the road. Or any general store. That notepad would likely be sold to a scribe for a pretty penny."
Seeing Matthew freeze unnerves her. She looks to Zaidel and asks, "What does this mean?"
"I..I don't know", said a stunned satyr. But they're alive!"
"You're alive!! YEAAA!" An exuberant Zaidel runs around to all the table and greets them all with hugs and handshakes.
"So these things are actually used here?"[b] Jeler says pointing at the notepad. ^b*"I thought the tchnology in this world was not as advanced. I guess you have places where to plug it? And Wi-Fi?"
Aurora explains, "There are many different technological items in this world because of the Chosen. Also Chosen have brought many developed ideas to this world. Though it has only impacted a few towns immensely. We don't have electricity, wifi, or even much glass. I have seen technological adaptions using mana stones as an alternative to batteries. I have also seen some cell phones that still connect to the internet of Earth."
"Okay... So I guess I can seem these notepad. Is I needed an internet connection for anything, I still have my phone. The rest, I guess, is potential money." He remembers the others saying later they would go and do a daily quest, so her turns to the ones present. "Will you still be here, or use there somewhere else we can meet? I wouldn't mind going for some trade and banter." He likes how 'trade and banter' sounds, very medieval, but he's not actually the one to ask for discounts or discuss over a price.
She shrugs at the confusing words from Jeler, she offers, "We will be here drinking waiting for the others to return."
Nodding, Jeler finishes his drink and goes to find a place where to sell his new wares and maybe acquire some others.
Jeler would you like to barter with the hawking merchants, find a general store or what?