DM Voomer's Age of Ashes

Game Master Voomer

"So what are you thinking about the colors?" she asks as they walk down the street.

"I'm honestly not sure." Caiten replies. "I am thinking the black would be best suited. But I have little information to base that opinion on. We should run it past the others before making a final decision."

-----

At the Grace, Caiten follows Sulee over and sits down at the table quietly with Catalina. "Greetings," he says simply.

Yasami smiles and nods when Twiddleton does his pitch. To her, there is something satisfying in watching a person do something they are passionate about. She picks up the dart as the halfling talks, checks the blade weight and inspects the entire length of the rope for potential damage. Once satisfied, she pulls out her dueling sword and gives it a long look. After a short moment of contemplation, she removes the sheath from her belt and puts both items on the counter.

"The things I do for this place..." she sighs as she releases her grip from the last tangible keepsake from her past. "This blade is very precious to me. I plan on picking it up again at some point. I will not tell you how to run your business, and I know you are not a pawn shop. But if you sell it, could you keep the buyer's name?"

"And how long do you estimate this 'rune transfer' to take? I am on a bit of a timeline."

She looks around the shop briefly, and thinks. "Actually... Instead of a rapier, do you have any parrying daggers in stock? This will only be a backup weapon, so it's better if it's not in the way of anything."

This would instead be a Main-gauche. A common martial weapon in the knife group, so it should be on hand? Nothing too complicated hilt-wise. Just a simple cross-guard from 3 or 4 prongs and a knuckle bow. A treated leather grip would be great design-wise, but it's just a cosmetic choice.

Lisitsei smiles at the striking aasimar out front. "Narine, this is our friend Catalina. She joined us--she was with the Mwangi elves, the Ekujae." He is incredibly happy to be within the aura of his one true love that he doesn't appear to be affected by Catalina's unearthly beauty, but the regulars who saunter in and out of the Wizard's Grace certainly stumble in their step before imbibing a single drop when they notice her.

Once inside, he hails Caiten and Sulee. "Are we settled for Dario's urn?"

he hails Caiten and Sulee. "Are we settled for Dario's urn?"

"It is a work in progress," Caiten replies. "But it is in progress. We will be starting work on it tomorrow morning."

"One question is which color of stone to use. The options we have available are white, black, and red. I am not certain which one Dario would prefer."

Lisitsei smiles at the striking aasimar out front. "Narine, this is our friend Catalina. She joined us--she was with the Mwangi elves, the Ekujae." He is incredibly happy to be within the aura of his one true love that he doesn't appear to be affected by Catalina's unearthly beauty, but the regulars who saunter in and out of the Wizard's Grace certainly stumble in their step before imbibing a single drop when they notice her.[/b]

Catalina perks up when she recognizes Lisi and smiles warmly at Narine, bowing her head in respectful greeting. "Pleased to meet you, Narine." She holds the door open for the couple as they enter the Grace, sweeping in after.

At the Grace, Sulee sniffs around as she bounds in the door - once Caiten opens it. She quickly recognizes Catalina and comes over. "Hi. I see you found the best place in town well enough. What do you think of Breachill so far?"

At the Grace, Caiten follows Sulee over and sits down at the table quietly with Catalina. "Greetings," he says simply.

"Hi!" She offers a small wave and grin at them both, feeling more at ease now that more of the others were trickling in. "Breachill is...different from what I'm used to. But not in a bad way. It's been some time since I've been somewhere not covered by jungle canopy."

In regard to the urn, Catalina looks thoughtful for a moment before shrugging. "Yasami might have a good idea about color. They all certainly have their own kind of symbolism, but I don't know how my understanding of the symbolic meaning of the colors meshes with Dwarven symbolism."

Yasami, as a rush job for an honored customer, Twiddleton will have the rune transfer done by the end of the day tomorrow, or first thing the following morning at the latest. You know he works with very competent artisans who can perform the work. You suspect the funeral service for Dario will be tomorrow at the earliest. Crink does have a parrying dagger for you, and it has a treated leather grip to your liking. It is particularly nice, and Crink will sell it for the same 2 gp as the rapier. He comments, "I bought this from a Taldan dual-weapon duelist who was down on his luck. He also asked me to hold it in case he came back, but that was over a year ago. If he does come back, I will tell him I sold it to you, and I will do the same for you."

Yasami, don't you have enough GP to just buy the rope dart? He would charge 5 gp given its rarity, but that still should be within your means, right?

Lisi, at the first opportunity you excuse yourself from the group and head over to the Breach Creek Lumberyard. The first person you see is carpenter Xandel Rynearsohn, who is doing some fine work on a desk in the carpenter's shop attached to the mill. Xandel looks up as you arrive and his face registers surprise and then he breaks into a big grin. "Narine sure will be glad to see you!," he declares with a slightly uncomfortable wink. Xandel is a bit eccentric, but he has never struck Lisi as malicious and he does exceptional, careful work. "She's over at the mill," he continues.

Lisi heads over to the mill and sees Narine giving directions to several workers handling a particularly large log. She's dressed in work pants and a tunic, both dirty, and her hair and face are covered in sawdust. Nonetheless, Lisi's whole being is suffused with warmth at seeing her. He watches for a good minute before Narine notices his presence with a start and then a gasp of pleasure. She catches herself, regains her composure, and excuses herself from the workers. Lisi knows well that Narine needs to maintain a pretty tough demeanor at work to handle her large rotating crew of workers, including adventurers looking to pick up a little extra coin and seasoned lumberjacks not well-accustomed to town life.

Narine leads Lisi to her office, closes the door, and then embraces him passionately. She's thrilled with the gift of the Mwangi knife, and she treats him as a returning hero, even though she's a bit sad to learn he will soon be returning to the jungle. Over the next couple hours she fills Lisi in on happenings in Breachill. She says that Alak and Warbal have apparently been doing a good job at managing relations between the Citadel and the town. She even heard that Alak and Warbal went to meet with the Sheylns and the Desnans (the biggest religious presences in town). It's Narine's impression that the townsfolk do not really know too much about what is going on at the Citadel. They seem relieved that the goblins aren't controlling the place anymore, and they are grateful for the economic infusion from the construction. There are whispers that there is a teleportation portal of some kind at the Citadel, but the Council and the few others with some knowledge (like the leaders of the Sheylns and the Desnans) seem to have managed to limit how many details have leaked out. As for Voz, Narine hasn't heard anything and assumes her redemption process in the Dreamhouse is still underway.

In time, the party gets a lot of the same sort of information from Warbal and Alak. It varies in some particulars and emphases, but all the accounts seem generally consistent. Let me know if there is anything else anyone is curious about.

Finally, Narine offers Lisi some comments about happenings at the Citadel. "As I'm sure you know by now, Umrot is working up there now. Alak asked if I could spare her from my crew, because he was having trouble organizing the goblins. It seems that their particular ... energies ... don't mix very well with his more disciplined outlook. I don't have the impression there was any serious conflict, but I think he was wise in bringing on a foreperson who better knew how to work with the goblins. Warbal and Alak seem to like each other a lot, which seems like a good sign to me. As far as I can tell, Alak is not much of a carouser, which has been good for the town's confidence in him, even if no one has been able to get to know him very well."

Lisi is pretty surprised and impressed with all the information Narine had gathered, especially given that she wasn't known for spending a lot of time in town. She explains with a tussle of Lisi's hair, "I figured you needed someone watching out for your interests while you were away, so I've been spending the occasional night at the Wizard's Grace, Cayden’s Keg, and even -- in the company of some of the crew -- the Pickled Ear... Which reminds me, Trin is really worried about Joran, as are all of his friends..." (Narine includes herself in that last category, as Joran's former employer.)

At the Wizard's Grace: The tavern is busy as usual, and the whole crowd turns to look as your group wanders in. The familiar townspeople stand and clap, and call for a round of drinks to be delivered to your table. A few traveling merchants and adventurers look on with confusion and question neighboring townsfolk about you all. There are also some whispering and subtle questioning looks with respect to Catalina, and it is clear your group is the talk of the tavern for a good while after your arrival.

One of the servers takes your orders and brings you drinks, and then the proprietor Trinil Uskwold, who had been somewhere in the back, approaches your table with a worried expression. "I'm glad to see you returned safely, but I have to ask what happened to Joran? I have not heard anything from him since you left."

All you know is that Joran hated being in the jungle, said he didn't know what you all were doing so far away from home being bit by bugs and interminably wandering, and said he was going to return to Akrivel and see if the Elves could let him back through Huntergate. Although the big man would never admit it or talk about his feelings beyond complaints about the jungle and boredom, it seemed like he was homesick. Although it did not seem like he was bothered by the danger, and he seemed to relish the fighting, it seemed like he had concluded he had less appetite for the more tedious aspects of adventuring and that he missed the simple pleasures of home.

Yasami, as a rush job for an honored customer, Twiddleton will have the rune transfer done by the end of the day tomorrow, or first thing the following morning at the latest. You know he works with very competent artisans who can perform the work. You suspect the funeral service for Dario will be tomorrow at the earliest. Crink does have a parrying dagger for you, and it has a treated leather grip to your liking. It is particularly nice, and Crink will sell it for the same 2 gp as the rapier. He comments, "I bought this from a Taldan dual-weapon duelist who was down on his luck. He also asked me to hold it in case he came back, but that was over a year ago. If he does come back, I will tell him I sold it to you, and I will do the same for you."

Yasami, don't you have enough GP to just buy the rope dart? He would charge 5 gp given its rarity, but that still should be within your means, right?

Oh, I am actually not sure how much money I have. I will need to recheck the thread since we are a little iffy on the party inventory as well.

If it is just 10 GP to transfer the rune and 5 gp for the parrying dager, I can cover that from my own funds. Just didn't know it would be that cheap since a striking rune is somewhere along the lines of 100 gp.

"Tell you what..." Yasami puts 15 gold on the table next to her dueling sword. "Transfer the rune from this to this, and I will pick up both the dueling blade and the rope dart tomorrow morning."

She picks up the dueling dagger. "I will take this now, and I might have more business for you in the morning. We have some stuff we picked up, but I need to check with everyone else regarding what they want to keep."

She straps the dagger sheath on her belt and stores the main-gauche in it. "So I will leave you to it. Pleasure doing business with you, Mister Twiddleton. See you tomorrow!"

She prances out of the shop and beelines for the Wizard's Grace. Arriving at the inn, she looks for a table with her friends, and see Trinil standing next to it. "Oh... that." she mutters to herself and walks over.

"Hi, Trinil!" she walks up and give the woman a hug. "Lovely to see you again. We will talk after last call? No dire news, as far as I am concerned. If that is what you are thinking."

Turning her head to Narine, she gives a polite nod. "And, finally, we get to know each other. I've heard so much about you, but we never get to actually talk. I'm Yasamina." she smiles at the woman, and sits down at the table.

"So what's the news? Before you all start making plans, we have stuff to talk about regarding our equipment. I think we could cover that tonight and get rid of what we don't need tomorrow. That should give us some funds to use either on new equipment - we could all use a little edge for what's waiting for us down south. Or to cover part of the citadel renovations. Either way, we have stuff we don't use."

She leans over. "We also need to talk to Voz while we're here. She might know something about this Scalet Triad business. If she is willing to share."

Regarding Joran, to close this chapter, can we retroactively have him walk to the Ekujae after the massacre in the mines and bring him back to Breachill with us? Not sure if you have plans for the character down the line, but it appears he is just ... lost in the jungle at the moment?"

Regarding Joran, all you know is that he left the party making the comments outlined above and said he was going to return to Akrivel. But the elves said he never came back. So it's objectively a little worrisome.

Catalina leans back in her chair, crossing her legs as the others talk. She ignores the chatter and stares beyond a polite smile and a wave to the occasional person who comes close, rather preferring to focus on those she knows. She sips a honey wine and perks up at the mention of equipment. "I have a small stash of gold that I haven't had the chance to use for the most part... and my armor could use replacing." Catalina muses, looking thoughtful.

"If this 'Voz' isn't willing to share, we can find a way to compel her, I think," Catalina says, inspecting her fingernails. There is an undercurrent of threat to her tone, but the aasimar doesn't expand on her thoughts much.

In regard to Joran, Catalina looks worried. "If he didn't make it back to Akrivel, I worry. The jungle is dangerous, and not just because of the threats we come to face..."

Yasamina clears her throat and gives Catalina a barely visible glance. NONSENSE! He's just picking flowers for Trinil here... His dearest."

She takes a sip from her cup, assuming a nonchalant body language.

"But yes... We came back to gear up, and that should happen. We could go to the dark room to double check on inventory and see what we can use for that. Or are there other suggestions?"

Catalina catches Yasami's subtle glance and turns faintly pink before nodding in response. "Ah, true. There are many beautiful flowers near Akrivel."

She leans back in her chair and sips on her drink quietly, pondering her supplies. "I could use stronger armor, but everything else is covered well enough for me..." She shrugs. "What else do we need to do before returning?"

Trinil, no fool, says to Yasami, "Want to come help me pick a bottle from the back to celebrate your return?" She's clearly looking for an opportunity to get more information, and respecting Yasami's apparent desire to speak privately.

In the meantime, Oren chose to go drinking at Cayden’s Keg, and then found him carried along by some new drinking companions to the more rough-and-tumble Pickled Ear. The proprietor Roxie Denn shows some initial alarm when Oren comes in, perhaps worried that he intends to give her more grief about the hidden tunnel to the citadel in her storage room. But she relaxes when she sees he's part of a drinking party, and she welcomes his group with a round on the house, perhaps trying to get on Oren's good side.

Yasami puts her cup down. "Sure thing, Trin." she stands up and follows Trinil, getting ready for a complicated discussion.

"So what are we looking for?" smiling, she asks before the door is closed, then changes to a more serious face.

"Yeah, I know what you're after." she speaks as she is examining the bottle racks. "Well, we had some losses where we went. Cev is possibly taken hostage, Dario fell. But you're curious about Joran."

She sighs. "Well, the truth is, we don't know where he is. But he was not injured, at least as far as we are aware. He was supposed to meet up with us back at base camp, but he never showed up. We are coming back there to finish some business. One part of that business is finding him, and we will do that. I promised you to take care of him, and that will happen."

She grabs Trnil's hand, and holds it between both her palms in a reassuring manner. "I'm sure he's fine. We'll find him and bring him home."

Yasami laughs. "He's probably somewhere in the wild, roasting a rabbit for dinner right now."

Oren stepped away to have a drink and some food, which somehow resulted in him being led over to the less favorable drinking establishment in town, which was...fine, even if he didn't know any of these people.

When Roxie gets a round for everyone, he doesn't partake, but he also doesn't stop her from doing so.

Lisi, after regaining his breath from a lengthy discussion with Narine, shakes some sawdust off and looks at the floorboards. "I don't know, Narine. Joran said he'd be at Akrivel with the Ekujae. We were foolish to let him run off without us, but a lot of things were going on all at once."

He gazes at her, wondering what fortune Desna he ever earned to be with this wonderful woman. "He's your friend and mine, Nar. I promise you, we'll look for him. Cev may be out there as well. We simply had to get refugees here. I'm sorry that we haven't been able to properly work out communication and flow of goods and trade between Citadel Altaerin and Breachill, but we will. You're absolutely right--Umrot is the perfect person for the task. By the way, you didn't hear about a bugbear in the woods? Name of Yol--er...Yoletchka, I think. We scared her off and honestly, I feel a bit bad about it."

At the Wizard's Grace

Lisitsei blinks as it appears everyone is off to the Dark Room. He looks at Guba, who looks back at him and unfurls a flower. Lisi narrows his eyes at the leshy. "No, Guba, you are not cutting in on Joran. Gods, we've been a pack of harried fools, losing our friends right and left."

He sits with Catalina and Caiten and Sulee, not saying anything for a long moment, then massages his temples.

"Catalina, personally, I don't feel the need to do anything more here. This feels like a wonderful dream, but there's a nightmare out there we have yet to face and snuff out. To be honest, I'm feeling anxious, guilty even, for being here. I know we had to rescue our kobold friends, but are still two of our fellow Heroes of Breachill unaccounted for, and a boggard-demon, or whatever she may be, who isn't sitting around joking over a pint of ale."

He rubs Narine's shoulder and looks at her, a bit pained, but manages a sweet smile. "'Saving the world' is far different than I expected a simple adventure to be."

To Lisi, Catalina offers an understanding grin. "I understand how you feel. But a little bit of rest and happiness amidst the darkness keeps us sane, no?" She leans back in her seat, sipping her drink. "Alak wants to have a drink or dinner with me before we go back to Akrivel. After we take care of Dario, of course."

Roxie looks confused when Oren declines to participate in the free round of drinks. "Do ye not like ale, dear? Can I offer some mead or wine -- but the wine won't be like they've got over at the Grace." Oren's companions also urge him to accept Roxie's offer of a drink on the house.

Trinil listens carefully to all that Yasami has to say about Joran. She starts to get emotional, but steels herself, "I've seen too many bold adventurers pass through this place with vows of glory, never to return. I know you'll do all you can do to return Joran to me, if he's still out there to be found. That's all I can ask for. I'll ask Desna to guide you all home safe. You're all a part of this town now, not just another passing group responding to our Call for Heroes."

At Lisi's mention of the possibility of a bugbear in the woods, Narine responds, "It's interesting you mention that. I did have a crew come in reporting some unfamiliar goblinoid tracks, and some small animal carcasses that didn't look like they had been killed by a wild beast. You say her name is Yoletchka? Is there a message we should pass on to her from you? That might help if our crew runs across her. There's always someone in the crew that speaks a little goblin -- old veterans of the Goblinblood Wars are always looking to pick up some odd work, you know."

Catalina, you eat and drink, feeling the acceptance and camaraderie of the diverse group around you, now friends. The attention from the assembled crowd in the tavern passes and the establishment returns to its usual busy hum. After a couple hours, Alak enters the tavern, wearing a newer and cleaner black coat than he wore at the Citadel, and you can tell he's taken the opportunity to shave. He greets several townsfolk near the door and waves greetings to Trinil and some others at the bar. Then he approaches your table and greets everyone warmly. He asks a few questions and tells your group that everything at the Citadel is fine, and then he approaches closer to Catalina. As he leans in, Catalina catches the pleasant odor of the herbs and soap used in his shaving routine. "Catalina, I know your group will be busy tomorrow with arrangements for Dario and preparations for your departure. I dropped by in hopes that we might be able to have a drink here, tonight."

Catalina quietly enjoys her food and drink, feeling content with her current situation despite the tragedy that still tore at their group. Being a newcomer had been difficult, but primarily on her end. She wasn't used to working with more than one or two people at once.

After Alak leans down to speak with her, Catalina smiles at Alak somewhat shyly, fidgeting with one of her rings. "Certainly," She replies quietly, suddenly very aware of her own appearance and scent. Thankfully, she thinks, they had been able to bathe and clean their things the day before.

She stands up, gathering her Harrow deck from where she had left it on the table and tucking it into its space on her belts. "There's a table over there," She says quietly, gesturing to a quieter area of the common room. "Shall we?"

Trinil listens carefully to all that Yasami has to say about Joran. She starts to get emotional, but steels herself, "I've seen too many bold adventurers pass through this place with vows of glory, never to return. I know you'll do all you can do to return Joran to me, if he's still out there to be found. That's all I can ask for. I'll ask Desna to guide you all home safe. You're all a part of this town now, not just another passing group responding to our Call for Heroes."

Yasami puts her hand on Trin's shoulder. "I will bring everyone back if it's the last thing I do. You have my word on this. We are just here to resupply and sharpen the blades." she pauses. "Well, and a little relaxation. The team needs it. Dario dead... Cevendyl missing, potentially tortured or killed somewhere. Joran just walked away at some point. It might have been too much for him."

She squeezes Trinil's shoulder gently. "We'll get them back. Now let's go help them release some steam." Yasami nudges Trinil back towards the inn proper and walks in that direction.

Moving to the table, she sees Catalina and Alak heading to an empty one. She smirks as she sits down and picks up her cup. She lifts it and takes a sip. She just sits there for a few seconds, then speaks out. "We need to find Joran. He's somewhere in Mwangi. When we get back, we should ask the elves for help. Nketiah? Is that something you can help us with?"

Then she looks at Caiten and Lisi. "You guys use magic. Any useful tricks on that front? If not, can we get in touch with Chioma? We could cash in that favour."

She leans against her chair and sips again.

"Scrying isn't my specialty," says Lisi. "The elves of Akrivel may have good trackers; that should help."

I guess I could try Speak with Animals. Kind of dumb that druids can't search a forest for a person.

Alak nods in agreement with Catalina's suggestion, waits for her to stand, and then follows her to the quiet table. "Do you like wine? I can't find anything to appreciate about the current government in Cheliax, but Trinil has a few bottles left of an excellent red wine from Western Cheliax." He lowers his voice a notch, "She bought them from a Pathfinder who passed through Breachill. It's rumored the owner of the vineyard is secretly a Pathfinder venture-captain."

Alak will order the wine to share with Catalina if that sounds good to her, or will order a glass of another wine for himself and whatever Catalina wants. He then proceeds to ask her about herself, her upbringing, how she met up with the group, her harrow deck and her pistol, etc. He's clearly coming from a place of genuine interest, and he leaves openings for Catalina to ask him any questions, so it doesn't feel like an interrogation.

Trinil accepts Yasami's attempt at reassurance. "I know you will do all you can and I will maintain hope for good news when you next return."

Nketiah is not with you at the tavern, but Yasami is confident the Ekujae will help in any way they can, especially once their movement is less restrained by the remaining pillars.

"I don't have anything against the wine or ale." Oren says, slowly. "It just feels odd, being here, and drinking, after everything."

Folks are welcome to read, I'm just spoilering for length.

Caiten listens quietly to the discussion about Joran. And Yoletchka.

As Catalina walks away with Alak, he finally turns to Sulee. "So... Black then?"

Sulee chuckles quietly. "Yes. Black will be fine. Don't stress over it so much. It isn't the biggest decision we are making at the moment."

At Oren's response, Roxie's confusion clears and she nods in understanding. "I can't myself imagine what it must be like for you heroes -- I just stay here behind the bar year after year. But most of those who pass through here find a little drink helps, whether it's to celebrate or just to forget for a moment." She slides an ale in front of Oren. "In case you change your mind, dearie."

Yasamina seems deflated by Lisi's response. A look of helplessness creeps into her face. She finishes her mug, and looks inside. She turns it around once more to not waste a single drop. Realising it won't help the situation, she slams it down on the table, a little louder than one would anticipate. She looks around. In a heartbeat, her face shifts to the happy-go-lucky Yasami. A barely visible, well-trained transformation "Whoops! Must have gotten used to more hardy materials in the last week." she laughs it off and reaches for another container. As she does so, she counts the people at the table.

"You know, when we started this journey..." she leans forward. "The Call for Heroes, I didn't realise it was a race to a last man standing situation. I won't have it."

She puts her hand in front of her face with all five fingers extended. "This is the number we are on now. One. Full. Hand. Notthing less, nothing more. Let's not lose any more fingers, please?"

She raises the drink. "To The Breachill Dogs!" she starts working on the drink.

Alak smiles at Catalina in return, and clinks his glass with her in acknowledgment of her toast.

The rest of the group (sans Oren, who is at Roxie's place) sees Catalina and Alak in engaged and seemingly intimate conversation, and their conversation wraps up as they clink their glasses across the table. Catalina and Alak return to the group and, after a short while, (unless anyone has anything else) the group make their way out of the tavern and head back to the Citadel, stopping to pick Oren up on the way.

The mood is a bit somber on the long walk back to the Citadel. It is hard to believe you woke up in the Mwangi Expanse, and making arrangements for Dario's funeral and being confronted with the masked grief of Joran's lover have taken their toll. Alak tries to re-assure the group not to worry about anything back here in Breachill, and he tries to project confidence that the group will find success in their return to the jungle.

The situation seems quiet back at the Citadel. The goblin guards on duty recognize the group immediately and welcome your return. A few other goblins are in the courtyard, playing with the worg puppies or telling animated but seemingly nonsensical stories around a fire. It appears that Nketiah and Renali have retired, and the kobolds seem busy settling in downstairs. You peek downstairs and hear the sounds of some squabbling in draconic, apparently between the Thornscales and Pib/Zarf, but it does not sound serious and you decide not to get involved.

Everyone retires to rooms in the Citadel towers and the rest of the night passes uneventfully. In the morning, the Citadel is abuzz with activity and Renali has made a vast pot of delicious savory, herb-filled mush for everyone's breakfast. All are delighted, but most especially the few long-term non-goblin citadel dwellers tired of the Bumblebrashers' cooking. It appears Renali got up very early and foraged in the surrounding area for cooking supplies, which is what she often did back in the jungle.

Feel free to add anything from the night before and to mention anything you want to do during the day, if there is anything in addition to Dario's funeral...

Lisi yawns and helps himself to mush. "Sorry, Renali, I'm normally an early riser..." He seems a bit more himself after some rejuvenating hours spent with Narine, although that also meant less sleep and a bit more ale than he's used to.

He ambles to sit next to Yasami.

"I've decided, Yasamina." He takes in a breath. "I'll find Joran. We can track that big oaf. He leaves a trail a yard wide, wider than an elephant." He gives a tired smile. "And we'll bring him home."

Lisi doesn't mention whether he thinks Joran is alive or in one piece.

Only slightly buzzed after their walk from the Grace to the citadel, Catalina makes sure to drink water deeply before heading to sleep. She hated a headache in the morning.

The next morning, Catalina arrives at the breakfast table feeling content and refreshed. She wears her usual attire: lots of black leather armor over and under a loose black dress, cinched with her many belts and bandoliers of esoterica and weapon accoutrements. She sits alongside the others, breaking her fast leisurely.

"Good morning," She chirps, but doesn't add much for fear of interrupting Lisi and Yasami.

During breakfast, she shuffles her Harrow deck, closing her eyes as she does to get a feel for the cards. It had been a little bit since she had drawn; too long, at least, in her opinion.

Card draw: 1d54 ⇒ 34
Reverse on 1: 1d2 ⇒ 2

She lays The Eclipse face up in its normal position and contemplates the card for a moment. She frowns--the card is usually an ill-omen. A loss of purpose; of faith. The eclipse is symbolic: something is or has the potential to overshadow their purpose. The crowd of undead chasing the subject, however, Catalina wasn't sure about. She decides to take it as more of a warning to avoid letting something like this overshadow their purpose as opposed to an omen (but if DM wants to add any flavor/insight, feel free).

Caiten, in typical single-minded fashion, wakes early and heads to Tuskhead Stoneworking to see about getting the urn ready.

Being an early bird when not under heavy influence, Yasamina is sitting alone in Altaerein, writing something in her journal. When Lisi approaches, she blows on the pages gently to dry off the ink and closes the journal.

"Morning..." she welcomes the sleepyheads to the table as she corks the inkpot to store it away. She stands up and stretches a bit before sitting back down.

She listens to Lisi's promise and sighs. "I have it some thought. You were right yesterday. The Ekujae probably have a better chance of finding him, given the available manpower alone. But it can't hurt to keep an eye peeled as we move on Belmazog. In either case, I appreciate it. It's just not knowing that eats at me. And I can't help but to wonder what Trin is going through."

Yasami pauses for a moment, and Catalina enters. "Good morning. Step in the discussion whenever you want to, darling. You're one of us now. Have been for a while. At least as far as I am concerned." Yasami looks to Lisi for a reaction. She waits a few seconds, and continues.

"Anyway - after we deal with Belmazog, we can scour the jungle for Joran. If he's not in the fortress itself, that is. I did make a promise to Trinil to bring him back. And to myself. And I'd really like to keep that promise. But he is a big man, a lumberjack, and I'm hoping he can take care of himself. Speaking of big men, where is Oren?" she looks around. "And where is Caiten? He's usually awake early. If he ever sleeps at all..."

As Catalina sits slowly chewing her mush, an additional frame in which to view The Eclipse comes into focus. She thinks back to the stories told by the Ekujae of an "Age of Ashes" that lasted a few short years when an incarnation of Dahak ravaged a post-apocalyptic Golarion not long after Earthfall. As the elves told it, Dahak saw his chance in the chaos following Earthfall to creep into the world without arousing the wrath of his father, Apsu. That short age, ended by the Ekujae's heroic sacrifice that banished Dahak's manifestation, was characterized by "dragonstorms”—long-lasting events akin to thunderstorms that incorporated the five chromatic dragon breath weapons: lightning strikes, fiery tornados, freezing blasts of cold, acidic rain, and clouds of poisonous fog. And, of course, during Earthfall itself the cloud of dust thrown up by the Starstone's impact literally blotted out the sun for 1,000 years, creating the Age of Darkness. So, perhaps pulling Eclipse right now is a reminder of the connected ancient calamities of Earthfall and the Age of Ashes, and some implied looming danger that seems to be connected to Dahak. Catalina finds little comfort in this more literal interpretation of her harrow deck draw.

When Caiten arrives at Tuskhead Stoneworking he finds the industrious Rorsk already up and in his workshop. The dwarf hears Caiten arrive and turns and greets him, "Guid mornin'. Ur ye ready tae stairt workin'? a'm juist getting th' workshop duin." He shows Caiten a work bench, and lays out several hammers and chisels of different sizes and forms. "Did ye decide whit color stane yi'll waant tae uise?"

Rorsk also sets up a workbench of his own near Caiten's. He has a project of his own in front of him, but he spends most of the time supervising Caiten's work and giving pointers, and he seems pleased by Caiten's careful work and facility with the tools. After some time, he comments, "Excuse me fur asking, bit urr ye whit thay ca' an android? we hae a' kinds bygae thro' breachill, bit ah hae ne'er met yer kind. Whaur dae ye come fae?" It takes Caiten a moment, but he seems to be asking if you are an android and where you come from. Caiten has noticed Rorsk looking with curiosity at the glowing circuits below Caiten's skin as he works.

Renali answers one of Yasami's questions: "Caiten headed out early -- he said he was going to go to Tuskhead Stoneworking."

Nketiah also joins for breakfast, mostly listening quietly and trying to take in the unfamiliar surroundings and people. She comments, "Yasami, I hope you know you can count on my people to do everything they can to help find Joran. With some of the pillars still up, our movement in the jungle is still pretty restricted. But once those come down, I'm certain we can find his trail."

Let me know if there is anything in particular folks want to do during the day. Nothing is currently planned until Dario's funeral this evening, and we'll move to that event shortly.

"If anyone can find Joran in that jungle, I think it would be the Ekujae," Calliope says, pulling her card off of the table and shuffling it back into the Harrow deck. "I'm certain we could hire a few of their trackers to help us if we don't find him in the fortress." Calliope stashes the deck back in a belt pocket and takes up her porridge bowl again, going to the pot for seconds.

When she returns, she leans back in her seat and rests the bowl on her chest to eat. "Oren was still snoring when I was heading out here," Calliope replies to Yasami, a bemused expression on her face. "I haven't seen Caiten or Sulee yet, though."

"Did ye decide whit color stane yi'll waant tae uise?"

"Unless you know of more significance to the colors, I think the black will be acceptable. The gunpowder that he is known for using is also black."

"Excuse me fur asking, bit urr ye whit thay ca' an android? we hae a' kinds bygae thro' breachill, bit ah hae ne'er met yer kind. Whaur dae ye come fae?"

Caiten nods as he works. "I am an android. Not a very populous or common ancestry, but it is what I have. I reached the age of maturity and was sent to explore and learn of the world before being given the option of seclusion if desired." Caiten pauses his work and looks in an unfocused manner at nothing at all for a moment. "I can better understand the requirement now. The information learned by being about in the world is very challenging. But I do not think that I could learn or teach it in any other way."

He then goes back to his work of crafting an urn for his fallen ally and friend.

Oops, Calliope is my vampire the masquerade character. Wires got crossed.

Renali answers one of Yasami's questions: "Caiten headed out early -- he said he was going to go to Tuskhead Stoneworking."

"Fair enough." Yasami shrugs. "He could at least say something, but someone knows, at least. Thanks for letting us know, Renali. AND for the food. I know you had to wake up early to get this ready. Much appreciated. As far as my taste buds go, that is. On the other hand, knowing what you are, I am almost scared to ask what's in it, but it tastes good. So if you want to tell me, let's wait until after the breakfast, I guess?" she smiles at Renali and gives her a joking wink.

Nketiah also joins for breakfast, mostly listening quietly and trying to take in the unfamiliar surroundings and people. She comments, "Yasami, I hope you know you can count on my people to do everything they can to help find Joran. With some of the pillars still up, our movement in the jungle is still pretty restricted. But once those come down, I'm certain we can find his trail."

"If anyone can find Joran in that jungle, I think it would be the Ekujae," Catalina says, pulling her card off of the table and shuffling it back into the Harrow deck. "I'm certain we could hire a few of their trackers to help us if we don't find him in the fortress." Catalina stashes the deck back in a belt pocket and takes up her porridge bowl again, going to the pot for seconds.

When she returns, she leans back in her seat and rests the bowl on her chest to eat. "Oren was still snoring when I was heading out here," Catalina replies to Yasami, a bemused expression on her face. "I haven't seen Caiten or Sulee yet, though."

Yasamina nods at Catalina and Nketiah. "Yeah. I'll take you up on that offer." Yasamina twists her wrist to point her fork in Nketiah's direction. "We'll take those pillars down. That's a done deal. We know where they are, we know how to take them down... I mean what could go wrong? Again..." she takes another bite, swallows and continues talking. "A lot of things, but hopefully, we will be ready this time. Not used to the jungle life, but..." her eyes narrow a bit. "By the way. I hope you've been comfortable here? Satisfied your curiosity? You let me know if you have more questions about the place. Me, Caiten, Lisi, Oren. Or even Alak. I can get you some books on the local cuture or history if you want to do some reading while we to topple the pillars. But you need to let me know soon. We will leave soon after Dario's funeral."

"Speaking of... When are they finishing the urn? I actually need to go to town either way. For a few reasons, really. Stop at Quarters and Bits, go pick up my ceremonial clothes in my place, potentially talk to Voz..." she rubs her forehead when she says that. "Crap. I should have arranged that yesterday. Well, we'll see what can be done. Anyway..."

She takes another bite, looks around for Alak, then turns to Catalina and smiles. "How was dinner?" she leans forward, hushing her voice. "You getting along?" you can hear the smile in her voice.

Last night: Oren drinks the ale that Roxie leaves for him, more out of politeness than anything else. He remains for a solid half hour, before ducking out at the earliest opportunity. He goes back to the Wizard's Grace, checking in for the night.

Today: Oren wakes up, honestly surprised that after everything that's happened, he hasn't had any dreams at all. He eats a quick breakfast, before making his way back to rejoin everyone else. "Sorry. I needed to clear my head last night."

Oren, DM posted that we swung by and picked you up before heading back to the citadel for the evening, and now we're all here the next morning. Did you want to be gone in the town for the night? Just making sure we're all on the same page.

She takes another bite, looks around for Alak, then turns to Catalina and smiles. "How was dinner?" she leans forward, hushing her voice. "You getting along?" you can hear the smile in her voice.

Catalina smiles back and takes the hint, leaning in with a hushed voice as well. "I think so. I enjoyed myself quite a bit. He's very easy to talk to." She leans back a bit, scraping out the last bite of her second bowl.

"I wouldn't mind seeing about getting better armor, unless we have something floating around in the bags."

Catalina could use +1 leather armor, but I believe she passed it up last time in favor of Cev or Dario who were more front line. If we have some floating in the bags, that would save money/time! iirc we do as per the Discord chatting.

Catalina shifts in her seat as Oren makes his appearance, smiling at the large, quiet man. "Good morning, Oren. Did you rest well? Clearer head today?"

"Yeah, he's a great guy nowadays. Real standup type. I mean you should have seen this place when we came here the first time. It was a dump. He takes care of it quite well, I think." Yasamina looks around the room, remembering the mess it was just a few weeks ago.

"ANYWAY..." she starts rummaging through the bag of holding, and pulls out a set of well crafted leather armor. "We seem to have an extra. No idea why you didn't ask for it earlier."

She puts the set aside, next to her. "When you're done with the food, it's all yours. Or I can keep it in the bag for now. Your call."

She finishes her breakfast, and stands up to stretch her legs again.

Caiten: Rorsk nods in apparent approval of Caiten's choice of color, and he places a piece of fine black marble before the android. Rorsk points out the delicate silvery veins running through the stone and explains that the urn should be carved so that the veins largely run vertically. He also points out several places to make effective first cuts in the stone.

Later, Rorsk listens to Caiten's information about his ancestry and then, after some still and silent contemplation, the dwarf comments: "Living awa' fae yer fowk is a form o' seclusion tae." He doesn't seem to be referring only to Caiten's situation.

Yasami: Renali laughs at Yasami's banter and teases back, "You know I like to get up early, and you know I save the tastiest bits for myself. You all just get the boring grains, herbs, and fruit!"

Nketiah nods in agreement about the pillars. In response to Yasami's other questions, "I've been perfectly comfortable here, thank you. I'm better traveled than most of my people, so I'm more used to change. Warbal and I have talked a little about the citadel and Breachill," Nketiah gestures to the goblin who is nearby talking to some of the Bumblebrashers. "I don't need to figure out everything out right now, but it would certainly be helpful to bring back a book that might fill me in a bit on the history of the region. And, actually, I understand from Warbal that two of the leading religious figures in town are both elves. If possible, I would like to accompany you into town and perhaps you can introduce me to them?" She is clearly referring to the cleric of Desna Kellen Carondil and the cleric of Shelyn Tarindlara Vallindel.

As Yasami and Catalina chat about Alak, he emerges into the courtyard, as if his ears were burning. It looks like he has been up for some time -- he wears a simple tunic and pants and has a greatsword strapped to his back. He approaches, and the breakfasters can see his hair looks rumpled and he has a sheen of sweat on his face, and a glow of vigor. He smiles at the group, lingering a little longer and smiling a little broader as his eyes meet Catalina's. "I breakfasted early so I could get in some training this morning. I may mostly be an administrator these days, but I need to keep my skills honed. I saw Caiten before he left, and he told me that you should be able to conduct the funeral for Dario this evening." Alak's tone turns a bit more somber in that reference. "Lisi, could you please ask Narine to expect one of Vusker's people to come pick up the wood this afternoon?" Vusker, as you know, is the town's wainwright. "Jorsk said we should hold the ceremony next to the creek at the spot with the big oak tree, West of town."

"Living awa' fae yer fowk is a form o' seclusion tae." He doesn't seem to be referring only to Caiten's situation.

Caiten nods almost absent-mindedly as he works. "For the..." he pauses for a moment, "tribe or clan would be the best translation... For the clan that I am from it is expected that we spend at least ten years before the age of fifty living with other civilizations and learning of their customs and behaviors. After that we can decide whether we wish to remain with the civilizations of the world, be a liaison between our clan and the outside world, or devote our time fully to the clan."

"Yeah, he's a great guy nowadays. Real standup type. I mean you should have seen this place when we came here the first time. It was a dump. He takes care of it quite well, I think." Yasamina looks around the room, remembering the mess it was just a few weeks ago.

"ANYWAY..." she starts rummaging through the bag of holding, and pulls out a set of well crafted leather armor. "We seem to have an extra. No idea why you didn't ask for it earlier."

She puts the set aside, next to her. "When you're done with the food, it's all yours. Or I can keep it in the bag for now. Your call."

She finishes her breakfast, and stands up to stretch her legs again.

"The keep is impressive," Catalina says, taking a moment to survey their surroundings. While it was clear some things were under construction, the place is looking like a proper keep. "It's a nice base."

After Yasami lays the armor on the table, Catalina replies: "Ah, I thought Dario or Cev would be able to use them more," She trails off for a moment, face drawn, before visibly shaking it off. Time enough to mourn later. She picks up the leather Yasami lays on the table and inspects it, making note of all the buckles. The aasimar pushes away her bowl and stands, unbuckling all of her old leather armor and working to don the new.

She is absorbed in all of the buckles when Alak arrives, and the sound of his voice gives her a small start. She offers a wide grin as she finishes the last buckle and then nods. "Well, I suppose we should go into town and finish up what we need to," She muses, gesturing at Yasami. "Do you need some extra hands with this Voz person?"

Huh, I thought I posted on like, Friday.

Lisi nods to Alak. "A terrible thing, to have to see Narine again. I'll suffer through being a messenger to the lumberyard." He gives the armiger a wink.

He appraises Catalina's new armor. "It suits you, Catalina. And this is your base as well. Yasami has it. You're one of us now. Too many drops of blood and tears have fallen for it to be otherwise."

"These 'dragonstorms'. We should be mindful of these lessons of history. I have no doubt Belmazog and anyone else following the...shadow...of Dahak...will want to bring such destructive power back to Golarion. Far harder to do without incurring the eye of other protective forces, but cults have a way of zeroing in on the worst outcomes, as soon as possible. They're impatient like that," he says with a sort of grim smirk.

"So, who's to town? Nketiah, I'm happy to accompany you and Yasami and whomever else. One of these days, though, I'll plant a proper garden here..." He gazes at the Citadel longingly. "You should have seen it when I first tried to speak to the Bumblebrashers. I practically stepped upon my tongue. Not my best oration."

After a little stretch, Yasami picks up her journal from the table. She nods towards Catalina. "I'm ready."

Alak enters the scene, and she waves him down. "We're heading to town. Coming with us, or we'll meet up at the pyre?"

She pauses, looks around, and continues. "I'm taking Nketiah to the temples in town. She wants to talk to the head priests. Then..." she gestures to Catalina and herself "...we're going to talk to Voz Lirayne. I'm hoping she had a change of heart and we can siphon some information out of her. We'll see if we are actually allowed to talk to her, I guess. Anyone who wants to join in on that, by the way, feel free to." she looks at Lisi and Oren.

"And then I'm picking up a book or two, equipment, and some more formal attire for the funeral."

"And Lisi, when we finish this Belmazog business, and if we have time, I will help you with that. Place could use a little colour." Yasami states as she watches the cold, gray stones. "Very... pragmatic. Even for a fort. We'll do something about that..."

"Speaking of, I need to find a portrait artist as well. Maybe in Shelyn's Smile..."

Lisi nods at Yasami. "Priests, lumberyard, Voz, shopping, in that order?"

He glances up at the fort. "Moss and flowers are always nice. Plus, moss and thorns, not very easily climbed." He wiggles his fingers and mouths, "druidry" while joining Yasami, Catalina, and Nketiah.

"A portrait artist for whom?"

Oren gives Catalina a smile and a nod as she asks about him. "Surprisingly, yes. I had a good night of sleep last night."

When asked to accompany Yasami and Catalina to town, he agrees. "I'll join you. I think that it's a good idea."

Lisi nods at Oren approvingly. I think that means no dreams of Dahak. That seems good.

He does a very belated double take. "...since when were we the Breachill Dogs? Did Sulee suggest that?"