Roxie blinked with surprise. "How do you...safety of Breachill? What are you on about?"
-----------------------------------------------
"That who I think it is? Joraaan! The hero o' Breachill 'imself! I still owe ya that drink, son."[/b] Fadelby Vusker, whom you hadn't seen since the arm wrestling contest, grabbed Joran's drink from the bar and carried it over. He was far into his own cups and sloshed a little bit out on his way to the table, sitting heavily and passing the drink over.
"Heard rumors you were off poking about up on the Hill. Good ta see ya aren't dead." He laughed heartily.
It seemed like it was going to be a simple plan. Him and Yasami talk to the lady, get into the basement, have a more serious conversation. He already had business with her, it was going to be a fairly simple situation. The swashbuckler had some style and flair, not something he could disagree with in any way or shape. Yet when both Joran and Lisi walked in, his smile stayed polite but his eyes screamed "What are you doing?"
"Great at combat. Needs better trust in plans." Dario thought to himself as he looked at the two of them and chuckled. "They're going on about that business with the goblins. We've got that covered. Yeah?" He would nod his head at the druid and strong boy, hoping that they'd let them carry on. "We'll talk about it more after Yasami and I are done with business here."
"Let me try to explain.", Yasamina would try to calkm Roxie down. "See, this is the second time we are in this room today. We found your trap door when we were clearing up some nasty creatures in the Hellknight fortress nearby. Now, since we are good, honest folk, we have decided not to steal your stuff, but instead ask you about it. So what I want to ask is - did you dig that tunnel, or was it here before 'your time'? Do you know anything about the Altaerein citadel? Any other secret entrances? Or tunnels within the citadel itself? See, there's some nasty business brewing in that fortress."
She pauses for dramatic effect, then continues. "Nasty creatures coming in through a portal from who knows where. The stairs to lower levels are collapsed, though. And we need to get there as soon as possible. So if you can help us, I humbly ask you to do so. And don't take this as a threat, but if those creatures find your tunnel, this will probably be the first place they pop up in. I mean we found it, and we were not even looking very hard. It's just there. Plain sight. The undead that were guarding it are ... disposed of."
"So - can you help?"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Roxie looked overwhelmed by the sudden interrogation. "Creatures? Undead? Wh..what? Coming here? Why?" Yasami can hear real fear in her voice. "I don't understand... No I didn't dig the thing. Been there since before I was born, Pa said the knights dug it in case the town was ever attacked, so folks could flee to the castle. Once they left... Well they left a heap of things behind, seemed a shame to let em rust!" her voice quavered.
Yasamina flashes a smile, and soft punches Roxies's shoulder. "Ah, I'm just messing with you to soften you up a bit. No need to be alarmed. Undead... pffffft-", she waves her hand in the air dismissingly. "Like that's a thing."
"We did find the tunnel, though, and Dario over here said we should chat you up for supplies. So yea - light blades. Got any good pieces?"
When Roxie turns around, she looks at Dario and Lisi, and fakes wiping sweat off her forehead, mouthing "SAVED".
Roxie breathes a sigh of relief but then looks perturbed. "That weren't very funny. What kind of a thing is that to say to someone? Are ya daft? I don't think I'm wanting to well you anything." She looked to Dario, hoping for an explanation.
"No, she wasn't pulling your leg. There were undead there but I'm guessing you didn't bother the graves." Dario says, rubbing at his chin lightly before at Yasami. He didn't think there would be any reason to lie to her, not when her reaction was so obvious. "There is someone we're looking for, might've been in your bar or come from down here. An elven woman. Don't have much of a description outside of that but she may have been causing some problems that could affect the town. Could you help us with that?"
Roxie frowned. "What is wrong with you people! There are monsters, there aren't, no wait there are?" She wrung her hands, and from her expression she was considering boarding the tunnel up entirely, staring at the trap door like it was a big hairy spider.
At the mention of an elven woman, she hesitated a moment. "What...sort of problems?"
Caiten walks up to the Pickled Ear and sees Cevendyll, Oren, and Alak still standing on the path. "I think you should all be part of this conversation too. Especially you, Alak." He walks in to the Pub without really paying attention to who is following or not.
Inside, he quickly spots Joran, but none of the others. "Joran, everyone else is here still, yes?" He considers for a moment more. "Oh, of course. They must be in Roxie's storage room."
Caiten heads over to the door to the storage room and unceremoniously opens it. He is just in time to hear Roxie's last comment about not wanting to sell. "Perhaps I can interest you in buying from us then."
"I had originally intended to learn how to create runes like these myself, but I am short on time now. I believe I know how to get into the lower levels of the citadel. So, I will offer the business to you instead." He holds up the morning star, being sure to show off its magical rune. "I was unable to find any weapon runes like these when I went looking. So if you find a business partner able to craft magical items, you should be able to reverse engineer the rune and corner the market on them here in Breachill. And yes, the weapon was acquired from the Hellknight citadel. No one here considers that to be an impropriety - including the Hellknight that we ran into in there."
Roxie frowned. "What is wrong with you people! There are monsters, there aren't, no wait there are?"
"Ah, let me see if I can clear that up. There are monsters in the Citadel. More than there were a few weeks ago, but less than there were a few days ago."
Sulee closes her eyes and shakes her head. "Yeah, I don't think that helped."
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Alak watches Caiten make a beeline for the bar, and invite himself behind the counter and through the back room, to the stunned surprise of the woman covering for Roxie. "Err...is he always like this?" Alak asked Joran, Cev, and Oren.
He was already drawing stares from the patrons, still clad in his distinctive armor, so he did not follow. Instead, he tried his very best to look casual, smiling awkwardly and trying not to appear intimidating -- which was a ridiculous sight, given his appearance.
"Look, we're sorry for scaring you. Ain't nothing wrong with trying to make some extra coin with things that people left behind." Dario said softly, tentatively placing a hand on her shoulder to try and show comfort. He moved himself as well, trying to show off his more appreciable side rather than the hideous scarring on the other side of his face.
When she froze up for a moment, his eyes moved back towards the druid and the swashbuckler with a near imperceptible nod. It seemed that talking to her was the right thing to do. He cleared his throat, thinking of how to explain it best.
"We think she may be involved in some weird, magical thing happening at the fort. There were creatures there that ain't from around here and...well...they weren't friendly. We dealt with them but we can't get lower because the stairs in the fort collapsed. We think she is involved somehow and we want to know how. Ask her some questions, see what she has to say. I think, I do think you know who we're looking for, don't you Roxie?" Dario's tone grew more serious as they spoke, his eyes reading the woman for any sign of her trying to weasel out of it or hide her thoughts.
Dario takes only a moment to look to Caiten and tries to give the most polite smile he possibly can and silently accepts the fact that this poor woman is never, ever going to work with him again.
Roxie stared blankly at Caiten as he discussed business, too distracted by talk of undead and monsters coming through her basement to fully comprehend his words, and wondering if she was having a psychotic break with reality. "More than there were a few weeks ago, but less than there were a few days ago.".. she mumbled questioningly, repeating the words as if trying to make sense of it all.
Dario's hand on her shoulder brought her focus back to him. "She paid me to use the tunnel and keep quiet about it... I wasn't even sure how she knew about it. Supposed there's probably record of it somewhere, though, and she does run the bookstore. Her name's Voz." She was entirely too confused and unsettled to care that the woman had paid for her discretion, at this point.
Alak watches Caiten make a beeline for the bar, and invite himself behind the counter and through the back room, to the stunned surprise of the woman covering for Roxie. "Err...is he always like this?" Alak asked Joran, Cev, and Oren.
He was already drawing stares from the patrons, still clad in his distinctive armor, so he did not follow. Instead, he tried his very best to look casual, smiling awkwardly and trying not to appear intimidating -- which was a ridiculous sight, given his appearance.
Cev smiles at Alak and chuckles a bit
"It's possible that Hellkinights tell different stories to children, but the elves have one about a dwarven puppetmaker who created a magical Elven puppet who wanted to be a "real elf" ... it is a story we venerate in the church of Yuelral. K10 is our team's version of Pinochriell."
Her name's Voz.
Caiten searches his memory for anyone in town who is both Elven looking and named Voz.
Not only is Caiten aware of the woman who owns the bookstore, he recalls Calmont made mention of finding the scroll of summoning he used in her shop. Caiten does not know her very well, but knows her to be fairly reclusive, as many bookish people are. When making a purchase there he noted a touch of arrogance to her.
Caiten keeps quiet about recognizing the name Vos and it being distinctive to a single individual. He does put away the morning star since Roxie shows no interest in buying it.
"The bookstore's owner. You've been a dear, Roxie, truly." He would offer the lady two gold coins; one for the information and the other for the trouble that had followed them like a mudslide after a bit of rain. He'd look to the others and give a nod. "Let us give the lady some peace now, yeah? We got a name."
"Yes, it seems that our business here is concluded."
As he walks out of the storage room with Dario, he mentions, "Though this means that it will still take several days to get our weapons ready."
He comes over to Joran and asks, "Joran, do you know anywhere in town that we could all meet together to make plans for our eventual return to the citadel?"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"We don't ever pick Yasami. She just elects herself and runs ahead. Fortunately, she tends to kill whatever she runs into. Unfortunately, not such a good strategy with Roxie. Oh, and I can help you with your letters, Joran," the half-elf says with a wink before they summarily enter the tavern.
Chuckling, "Yeah you got a point there. And it really isn't a good strategy with Roxy. Like... not at all." He then breaks into a grin and shakes his head at his offer of writing letters.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"That who I think it is? Joraaan! The hero o' Breachill 'imself! I still owe ya that drink, son." Fadelby Vusker, whom you hadn't seen since the arm wrestling contest, grabbed Joran's drink from the bar and carried it over. He was far into his own cups and sloshed a little bit out on his way to the table, sitting heavily and passing the drink over.
"Heard rumors you were off poking about up on the Hill. Good ta see ya aren't dead." He laughed heartily.
Grinning from ear to ear, "Vusker you ol' goat! And yeah you do! One drink at the very least!" He then leans in a bit, "But let's wait until we're at the Wizard," he shoots him a wink and quickly looks around before leaning back out. "Yeah I'm glad I'm not dead too. Being dead tends to put a damper on what you want to accomplish in life. But we nearly got that place cleared of all the rabble. There was some weird stuff in there but we got it taken care of. Once we get it completely cleaned, maybe we can fix it up or something, it's in terrible shape." Taking several gulps of his drink before setting it down, "Oh and one more thing," he wipes the beer foam off his upper lip, "you owe me another arm wrestling match, buddy. I'm gonna get you one of these days," he vows, smiling. "I'll give you a chance and wait until your sober," he tells him, staring dead at him for several moments before breaking into raucous laughter.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Inside, he quickly spots Joran, but none of the others. "Joran, everyone else is here still, yes?" He considers for a moment more. "Oh, of course. They must be in Roxie's storage room."
Caiten heads over to the door to the storage room...
Raising a finger as he's just about to answer, it's not a split second later that Caiten walks off. With his forefinger still in the air, "Ummm, yes?" He looks over at Fadelby and shrugs. "You can tell I'm an important member of this group. They practically hang upon my every word with... um... with... some type of breath. I've heard the expression before but I'm not exactly sure how it goes. I think it has something to with bait or something? You know, what you use to go fishing with. Hell I don't know," he confesses, shrugging and taking another swig.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Alak watches Caiten make a beeline for the bar, and invite himself behind the counter and through the back room, to the stunned surprise of the woman covering for Roxie. "Err...is he always like this?" Alak asked Joran, Cev, and Oren.
He was already drawing stares from the patrons, still clad in his distinctive armor, so he did not follow. Instead, he tried his very best to look casual, smiling awkwardly and trying not to appear intimidating -- which was a ridiculous sight, given his appearance.
Cev smiles at Alak and chuckles a bit
"It's possible that Hellkinights tell different stories to children, but the elves have one about a dwarven puppetmaker who created a magical Elven puppet who wanted to be a "real elf" ... it is a story we venerate in the church of Yuelral. K10 is our team's version of Pinochriell."
Joran looks to Cev blankly, not knowing in the slightest what it is he's talking about before turning his attention to Alak. "Caiten? Of course he is! He's as odd as they come. But I can tell you this about him: He's as dependable as they come also. You can ALWAYS count on him. But he's still weird. Now his poppet, Sulee, she's a gem. She's the... let's go with 'the common sense' of those two. Caiten's mind appears to be very numbery and he doesn't understand some things. You know, basic human type stuff so the poppet's there to help him through that. They are a solid team those two. They complement each other qui... OKAY, what the hell's wrong with you, buddy?" he asks, grinning. "You gotta pee or something? If not, take a seat, you're drawing all kinds of stares. There's not even any music playing. C'mon, sit down." He grabs him by the arm and pulls him down to a chair. He then taps on the table, "Bartender! One for my buddy here! The gods know he needs one. Either that or he's got to pee," he explodes in laughter again, giving the hellknight a good slap on the shoulder.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
He comes over to Joran and asks, "Joran, do you know anywhere in town that we could all meet together to make plans for our eventual return to the citadel?"
Grinning and nodding arrogantly as he throws a wink Fadelby's way and mouthing the words, Every word at him, he then turns - possessing a look of utmost confidence about him - to Caiten and says, "Nope," before breaking into a wide grin. "I'm kidding! Kidding. How 'bout the Wizard's Grace? Good as place as any, don't you think? Too open? We looking for some place that's less public?"
Fadelby is drunk enough he's just watching the scene unfold and laughing occasionally. "We're going fishing?" he asked with amused confusion.
Alak pilled out a chair that looked too small for him with all his gear on, and nodded his thanks when a drink was brought over. He closed his eyes as he took the first long gulp from the mug and smacked his lips with satisfaction. "I cannot recall that last time I had anything but water to drink. Cheers to this town, and to the lot of you for bringing me here."
Grinning and nodding arrogantly as he throws a wink Fadelby's way, he turns - possessing a look of utmost confidence about him - to Caiten and says, "Nope."
"The Wizard's Grace would probably be fine. It is nothing secret, but given Roxie's reaction to our activities of the last few days, perhaps discussing things so publicly is not such a good idea."
Fadelby is drunk enough he's just watching the scene unfold and laughing occasionally. "We're going fishing?" he asked with amused confusion.
Cutting his eyes over toward Fadelby and sporting a raised eyebrow, Joran simply smiles and shakes his head at his drunken friend.
Alak pilled out a chair that looked too small for him with all his gear on, and nodded his thanks when a drink was brought over. He closed his eyes as he took the first long gulp from the mug and smacked his lips with satisfaction. "I cannot recall that last time I had anything but water to drink. Cheers to this town, and to the lot of you for bringing me here."
Smiling, Joran raises his nearly empty mug and clangs it against the hellknight's, "And cheers to you, buddy," before downing the rest of it.
"The Wizard's Grace would probably be fine. It is nothing secret, but given Roxie's reaction to our activities of the last few days, perhaps discussing things so publicly is not such a good idea."
Scratching his chin in thought a moment, "Yeah that's a good point, buddy. Someone overhears us then that's when rumors start, panic sets in and the next thing you know, all kinds of hell breaks loose and we don't need that. Oh hey! Trin may let us hang out until after close. I could ask her," he shrugs. "I sure would hate to keep her up too late though. As long as we can run through whatever information we need to talk about fairly quickly, I think it'll be okay. She does have to get up early and run the place. And I'd get blamed if she doesn't get enough sleep. And let's be honest, I get blamed for a LOT of things and unfortunately they're pretty much all true," he confesses matter-of-factly, shrugging again. "I can't just keep adding to that pile you know. It's either there or... heck, I don't know. Maybe that little ol' place of yours, Caiten?"
"That may work, though it is a bit small. We shouldn't need to be there long though. It will work, let's meet there after we are done here." Caiten leaves and heads back to his little room.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
When Dario returns to the main floor, the human looks as if he had aged five years since anyone had last saw him. Navigating the druid, the android, the shifty proprietor, the loveable lug, and the flamboyant swordswoman had left him rubbing ruts on the bridge of his nose. Now he understood why all his immediate relatives back at the Hold had picked up drinking being around him.
"People are exhausting." Dario says to no one in particular. It looked like they were going to be heading to Caiten's workshop that already sounded like it was going to be crowded. With Oren and Joran's broad shoulders in there, he might as well be a crushed fruit. "Lets get this taken care of and then we can plan our next movements. C'mon Yasami, you did...better than everyone else I suppose." Dario said with a tired chuckle.
Caiten walks back into his little apartment and looks around glad that he generally keeps the place clean. He busies himself putting away his crafting work in progress and sweeping up the minor mess on the workbench.
"I spoke with Helba earlier today. Helba says that the Bumblebrashers did not go down those stairs to the lower level more than once. She gave a vague description of a large room that made them uncomfortable just being there. Also, when they entered it caused a 'murder giant' to appear. Since this creature has a different name than the 'dragon lizards' that we fought in the courtyard, I expect that this is some other creature that is in the lower level."
"But more importantly, she also mentioned that the room where the creepy doll was also has a tunnel leading downwards. A few of the Bumblebrasher Goblins fled that way when they were driven out, but never returned. At least, not soon enough to meet back up with the rest of the Bumblebrashers. Their current fate is unknown."
"There is also the matter of Voz Lirayne. It appears that she was the Elf, or rather Half-Elf, who was attempting to summon undead creatures in the citadel. According to Pib and Zarf, the Kobolds that we encountered there, she came down to the lower levels, enchanted the large birds there, but then was surprised and frustrated to find that the stairs down had been destroyed. I suspect that she was trying to raise undead as workers to clear the path. Though it could also have been for more aggressive purposes against the town, but I don't have enough evidence to fully reach that conclusion yet. However, it does raise the question of how much of a coincidence it is that Calmont happened to find an active scroll to summon fire mephits just laying around in easy reach. Perhaps Calmont was not being truthful about how he acquired that item."
"In any case, I think it is best if we return to the citadel to camp there tonight. We can guard that entrance to make sure that nothing down there comes out, and that no one from Breachill goes in. If we do it quietly enough, perhaps we can even catch someone trying to get in there. We were not very quiet about our exploits over the last couple days in a very busy and public pub. Perhaps we can use that to our benefit."
"Regarding the weapon runes. I think we should cut short the amount of time we take transferring them. Oren's new weapon already has one. I suggest that we transfer one to Joran's flail, Dario's pistol, and Yasami's rapier. That will take about three days to finish, and will mean that the combatants focused on using weapons for damage will have magical weapons to do it with. I can worry about learning how to replicate the runes later, as well as upgrading the rest of our weapons. But that will be a good start and should be sufficient for preparations to handle whatever murder giants there are in the lower levels. It also has the added benefit of giving Vos, or whoever else knows about the lower levels, time to show themselves."
"One problem with the plans for the runes is that transferring runes requires some materials. I expect that those materials can be gotten from the temple of Shelyn. It should be the same materials used to create scrolls. Yasami, you know Shelyn's Smile better than any of us. Could you take some of the things that we have found that we don't have use for - such as the silvered weapons - and trade them for about 15 GP worth of rune crafting materials?"
"So: thoughts, suggestions, improvements, alternative plans?"
"Once we're done with this chat, which we probably could have had anywhere, we can still go to the Wizard's Grace, right? It would be a shame for Joran not to see his paramour. It would also be a shame for some of us not to eat or rest ... we need it."
Yasamina gives Dario the look when he confirms there were actual undead in Altaerein, but she stops shortly after. No point in hiding it now.
"Roxie - I didn't want to spread panic, and I understand that it is a bit much to take, but you are a woman that can keep a secret. Please don't tell anyone. People will leave, you will lose clients, the place will become a ghost town. We'll stop it. Or die trying. I will, anyway. Okay?"
She pats the woman on the back, and gives her a few light taps on her cheeks to give them back some colour.
When pressed to move on by Dario, she nods her head in agreement.
"Yeah, let's figure this thing out and nip it in the bud."
When leaving the room, she turns to Roxie, and puts her index finger to her lips, making a shhhhh sound as she winks.
Moving on to Caiten's place, Yasamina seems quiet, and looks around the streets of Breachill, looking at the people that probably don't know what's lurking just a mile outside of town. Stories of things that go bump in the night might very soon become more than just stories. And who is to stop them? This ragtag group? Toymaker and his creation, an elevated priest, a former blacksmith, a lawyer, and a dancer. Okay, arguably they did have two guys that could crush a skull with their bare hands.
"It will have to do, I suppose...", she thinks out loud for a moment.
When they reach Caiten's place, she looks around at the toys he makes. Rocking horses, dolls, miniature wagons. All of them nice, but none of it will probably help against whatever they will be up against if they don't close that gate. He knows tricks, that's for sure. It was something. She seems zoned out while Caiten is speaking, and only snaps out of it when addressed. "Oh yeah, um... I know a guy who might help."
She looks at Oren - who is apparently an augur as well, in addition to the mallet he holds in his hands, and approaches the man.
"Oren... Oren, you should stop by the Great Dreamhouse. See if they can make sense of those premonitions of yours. Perhaps tonight, while we are here? At least that's my suggestion, if we are making a list of things to do while in town."
Oren mainly just nods as Caiten gives his next steps for dealing with this issue. He's hungry, these quarters are a pretty cramped fit with eight people inside, and coming up with big plans isn't particularly his specialty.
"Yes, the Dreamhouse. I agree, we should head there tonight. If they can make sense of my dreams, that should hopefully give us an idea of what we're going to face next. At the very least, it should give me some peace."
Oren mainly just nods as Caiten gives his next steps for dealing with this issue. He's hungry, these quarters are a pretty cramped fit with eight people inside, and coming up with big plans isn't particularly his specialty.
"Yes, the Dreamhouse. I agree, we should head there tonight. If they can make sense of my dreams, that should hopefully give us an idea of what we're going to face next. At the very least, it should give me some peace."
"Oren, I would be happy to walk with you later, after we all eat something. I have not been back to the Dreamhouse since shortly before the Call, it would be nice for me to return."
"Voz? Really? Can't really say I'm surprised. She always was a bit weird. Anyway, okay, ummmm, let me see if I got this straight: We're going to stake out the citadel - because I know I'M going to be one of them - and you're going to spend three days here working your magic on these weapons or whatever it is you do? Do I have that right?"
"Once we're done with this chat, which we probably could have had anywhere, we can still go to the Wizard's Grace, right? It would be a shame for Joran not to see his paramour. It would also be a shame for some of us not to eat or rest ... we need it."
Holding up a forefinger at the android, "Hold that thought, Caiten." He then quickly turns to Cev, "Of course we'll be stopping by the Wizard's Grace, buddy! There's no way I'm going to be in town and not stop there. We'll head that way once we're done here, don't you worry about that," he winks and nods, turning his attention back to Caiten. "Okay, Big C, go ahead," he says, crossing his arms. I wonder what in the blazes is a paramour?
"No, that is about all that I have. I was rehearsing that speech for about 10 minutes while walking here and cleaning up. I am also planning on moving my crafting supplies to the citadel also, Joran, so I will be glad to have the company and backup if needed. Leaving the citadel unattended while the gate is still unknown and probably active makes me very nervous."
"And yes, dinner would be a great idea."
"No, that is about all that I have. I was rehearsing that speech for about 10 minutes while walking here and cleaning up. I am also planning on moving my crafting supplies to the citadel also, Joran, so I will be glad to have the company and backup if needed. Leaving the citadel unattended while the gate is still unknown and probably active makes me very nervous."
"And yes, dinner would be a great idea."
Pointing at him and throwing a wink, "You got it, buddy. I'll help you move all that good stuff after we take care of these hunger pains, shall we?" He then turns to Cev, grinning. "Okay, Cev, you win, buddy! Time to eat. I know just the place. It's actually my favorite place in all of Golarion. Imagine that? My favorite place in all of Golarion. What are the odds?" he asks, sporting a wry grin and a raised eyebrow. "I'll lead the way in case you all don't know how to get there. Let's move, folks, and go get us something to eat! That's an order!" he toughly demands, yet, unable to hold a straight face, like, at all before busting out in laughter. Joran then leads the way out and to his favorite tavern in all of Golarion.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Lisi absorbs all of Caiten's words, and perhaps half of Joran's. This guy doesn't have time to write, but can talk five people's heads off? Useful if we run into a hydra...
"We're going to be wearing the path to the Citadel into a holloway, the number of times we're going to and fro," says the half-elf in essential agreement with the android.
"It truly was unwise for Roxie to let Voz use that tunnel to the Citadel, right on the heels of an attack that had much to with with the same place," he continues. "I'd have requested that the entrance be barred up, if I didn't think we might have to use it in a pinch."
"Anyhow, dinner, Dreamhouse, and then a late stroll back to the Citadel. Caiten, I'm just speculating here, but murder giant makes me think of some sort of golem."
Caiten closes up his apartment as everyone leaves and heads over to the Wizard's Grace. As they walk over there he continues talking to Lisi.
"A golem might fit the description. Perhaps you should talk to Helba and Warbal. You can speak Goblin, so perhaps you can get more accurate information than I can."
The Wizard's Grace is nice and peaceful, compared to the hubbub at the Ear. A few tables of folks holding quiet conversations. You recognize a few faces from the mess with the town hall, including Counselor Greta Gardania, who is reading a large book while enjoying a meal by herself. Narine Howerdell is sitting at the bar, chatting with Trinil, who smiles as you all come in.
"I heard the Heroes of the Call were back in town. Wondered if you planned to 'grace' my little establishment with your presence, pun intended," she called.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Joran walks in and immediately catches sight of Trinil when she speaks out. Prettiest gal in town! Unable to contain a beaming smile that stretches from ear to ear, he walks up to the bar and greets her properly. "Hello, gorgeous," he says as he reaches the bar and leans upon it. He then bumps into something and takes a quick glance over to see what it is. Noticing Narine, his eyes go wide and he quickly straightens himself up before clearing his throat awkwardly. "Oh hey, boss! I, um, wow, I didn't even see you there. When did you come in?" he asks, a truly perplexed look about him as he looks around, wondering how she got there so fast. Turning his attention back to his boss and noticing 'the glare' that he's all too familiar with at work, he immediately turns to Trinil. "Okay, well, me and the others will be sitting over at that table," he points, "and we'll just all have that excellent stew of yours, darlin'," he tells her, cutting his eyes back and forth all quick-like between his boss and Trinil as he speaks, wondering if he's still going to be employed or possibly burned to death after she blasts him with the fire from her eyes that he knows she possesses. Looking to Trinil, "Thanks, gorgeous. I'm just gonna, you know, go sit down," he nods, throwing a thumb in the direction he's going as he slowly backs away, his eyes shooting back and forth again between Trinil and Narine. Barring any type of interjection by either of the women...
...Joran turns and makes his way to the table and takes a seat, putting his hands behind his head in thought. How in the world did she get there so fast?! Are you kidding me?! She had to have snuck in, tiptoed all the way to that chair and then immediately sat down RIGHT before I leaned on the bar. That's it! Has to be. Although I don't know why she would go to such extremes but I don't care. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. No way she was already there. Boy that was awkward. I was just about to kiss Trinil too. Man that would've been weird. Right in front of my boss. Shaking his head and wondering why everyone is staring at him, "What?" he asks, looking a bit confused before it quickly hits him. "Oh! Right. I got us all her fantastic stew. Oh and um, did you all notice that Narine is here?" His eyes subtly cut toward Lis. "I've no idea how she got there so fast but by the gods there she is!" he exclaims, rubbing his shaking forehead in what appears to be... annoyance?
Caiten walks in completely lost in his own thoughts, plans, ideas, contingencies, possibilities, and potential outcomes for all of them. He sits down at the table without even noticing the abrupt change in direction.
Lisi absorbs all of Caiten's words, and perhaps half of Joran's. This guy doesn't have time to write, but can talk five people's heads off? Useful if we run into a hydra...
"We're going to be wearing the path to the Citadel into a holloway, the number of times we're going to and fro," says the half-elf in essential agreement with the android.
"It truly was unwise for Roxie to let Voz use that tunnel to the Citadel, right on the heels of an attack that had much to with with the same place," he continues. "I'd have requested that the entrance be barred up, if I didn't think we might have to use it in a pinch."
"Anyhow, dinner, Dreamhouse, and then a late stroll back to the Citadel. Caiten, I'm just speculating here, but murder giant makes me think of some sort of golem."
"Dinner and the divine, wow, we have quite the plan forming! We really are visionaries! That said, prior to the holding hands and strolling along part of the plan, we will stop by Voz's shop, right? If I recall, it's around the corner from the temple." Cev takes a deep breath
"Not to get overly serious, but at this point, I'm not sure I really have a choice. With the amount of nefarious activity centered on the place, not to mention abused magic, I need to take a look just to ensure no one else will trouble the town & citadel from there. But it also could give us a clue what Voz has been up to. If her disgusting little weasel of a clerk knew about the aiudara from Voz, maybe there is more information we could find as well."| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Narine smirked at Joran. "As perceptive as you are, I'm surprised a tree hasn't landed on you yet," she quipped, taking a drink. "Of course, you'd have to show up to work for that to be a hazard. Were you planning on telling me you've officially retired for a life of adventure? Or did you just assume I'd figure it out when I realized why it was so quiet?" She and Trinil exchanged looks, barely suppressed smiles giving away that the woodswoman was joking, and not actually annoyed at the big guy.
Trin soon brought over helpings of stew, with large freshly baked, buttered bread to sop it up, and plenty of her best ale and wine. Alak dug into the meal like a man who hadn't eaten in days, and she shot him a curious, bemused glance. Having set everything on the table she wound up behind Joran's shoulder, resting a hand on it. "Wasn't sure when you all would be back. Glad you all kept this oaf out of trouble." She gave him a little secret squeeze. "I have a small surprise for you all, after supper. Take your time, though, you all look...hungry." She said this last part as Alak picked up the bowl and finished it off already. "I'll fetch seconds."
"we will stop by Voz's shop, right? If I recall, it's around the corner from the temple."
"Can we do that without causing more harm than good? If we go about it wrong, it will inform her that we strongly suspect her involvement. I don't know how she would react to that."
"We don't have a lot of concrete evidence. Roxie could testify that she used the tunnel to get into the citadel, but that is hardly a crime. Pib and Zarf also only saw that she was in the citadel. The only ones who can tell us that she was raising undead are the undead creatures that we killed. And nothing definitively ties her to Calmont and the attack on town hall."
"So unless we are planning to just go in and kill her based on our suspicions alone, I don't think there is much we can actually do." He looks over to Lisi. "You know the laws better than I do. Do you have any insight into this? Would the evidence that we currently have be sufficient in court? Either to prosecute Voz or to defend ourselves for accusing, harassing, or attacking her."
"Though I do see Counselor Gardania sitting over there. We should raise our suspicions and evidence to her at the very least. Can one of you do that? I feel that am too exhausted to do more than ramble incoherently." Caiten thinks for a moment. "Which also means that if we are going to confront Voz, we might want to do it tomorrow morning instead of tonight."
"we will stop by Voz's shop, right? If I recall, it's around the corner from the temple.""Can we do that without causing more harm than good? If we go about it wrong, it will inform her that we strongly suspect her involvement. I don't know how she would react to that."
"We don't have a lot of concrete evidence. Roxie could testify that she used the tunnel to get into the citadel, but that is hardly a crime. Pib and Zarf also only saw that she was in the citadel. The only ones who can tell us that she was raising undead are the undead creatures that we killed. And nothing definitively ties her to Calmont and the attack on town hall."
"So unless we are planning to just go in and kill her based on our suspicions alone, I don't think there is much we can actually do." He looks over to Lisi. "You know the laws better than I do. Do you have any insight into this? Would the evidence that we currently have be sufficient in court? Either to prosecute Voz or to defend ourselves for accusing, harassing, or attacking her."
"Though I do see Counselor Gardania sitting over there. We should raise our suspicions and evidence to her at the very least. Can one of you do that? I feel that am too exhausted to do more than ramble incoherently." Caiten thinks for a moment. "Which also means that if we are going to confront Voz, we might want to do it tomorrow morning instead of tonight."
"Not sure all of that is spot on my friend: Calmont & Voz are linked at the hip. She is his boss. Also, we are just people, people wanting to chat. We don't have to try to break down the front door of every person we want to speak to. But let's be clear: Calmont is an idiot. He knew about the Elf Gate for ONE reason, Voz. So if Calmont angling for a "piece of the action", which he only knew about because of his boss, and his boss is secretly prowling the castle and searching for the same thing we are searching for, I will admit, I am lost as to why we wouldn't stop by her shop for a discussion."
Cev smiles"Certainly, it could be a touch more civilized than our last discussion, for sure. We could keep in mind some of those old jokes like, "how many dwarves can you fit in a tree" and whatnot, but without going there to kill her outright, I certainly cannot see why we wouldn't want to ask her a couple questions.
Yasamina listens in on the discussion, and tries to not disturb the flow of tourhg in the room. With one exception.
"I agree with Caiten on this. Throwing accusations around, with names to boot, seems like a recipe to incite mob justice. My take is - make sure we are on the right track before pointing fingers."
After greeting everyone at the table, Yasamina listens in on the discussion. She tries to not disturb the flow of thoughts in the room. With one exception.
"I agree with Caiten on this. Throwing accusations around, with names to boot, seems like a recipe to incite mob justice. My take is - make sure we are on the right track before pointing fingers."
"Yes, Cevendyll. If you want to visit her shop in a friendly manner, that would probably be fine. Maybe you can get some more information without her knowing about it. Just don't go in there making threats and demands."
"I must be confused ... I said we should talk to her. Differently than we 'talked' with Roxie."
Sulee whispers to Cev, "I know, Cev. Caiten is just a bit paranoid sometimes. Especially about talking to people, and especially for a while after a conversation doesn't go well."