Another ten minutes' walk brings you back to the caravan, and Garok is happy to see you. You explain the few bits of information you want him to know, leaving out the symbol and that it seemed to be some sort of shipment. He takes the info in stride, thanking you for warning him about the potential of more erratic wild animals, and he brings up guards to make sure that you don't encounter any more surprise attacks unprepared.
The afternoon rolls on into near evening and as you approach the walled hamlet, the storm clouds above you increase in volatility and eventually it starts raining in earnest. Pouring walls of freezing cold raindrops pelt the caravan for the last hour of the trip, and when you finally arrive at the gates of Friendly Arm, you've never wanted to be away from the rain more in your life.
The inn used to be a fortress of some renown, but has since been converted into an inn with a wall around it for relative safety on the road. At the gates, Helga greets the guards and they let her through easily. Seems as if having friends has benefits.
Once you're inside the walls you see that there aren't many people out and about in the rain besides you, which makes sense. Helga and Garok organize the group in the courtyard, and make a quick address to their caravan and incidentally you.
"Come on, let's get the horses inside the stable. I want to get all of the important things out of the rain. I've rented their 'special' stall for Elara's 'special' friend, so she'll be heading there." she turns to you after the rest of the workers break off into their own tasks. "Well, I suppose this is the end of our cooperation for now. We'll be hanging around inside the Inn for the rest of the night once we're done out here, why don't you head on in and get yourselves some rooms? They should be making dinner soon, if I remember correctly. Soup, most likely, with the weather."
Despite the rain, Kiley remains in fairly good cheer. Ari's storming off worries her a little, but she decides that time's probably the best remedy there. She instead focuses on Shaggar and his reaction to the frigid downpour.
As Garok dismisses them, Kiley gives him a smile.
"Thank you for having us. I hope our paths cross again someday. Maybe then I'll fix your supper," she says before turning to her companions.
"Shall we? I think a hot bath and a hot meal sound wonderful about now."
Certain areas of Anauroch were high desert, so they could get cold, especially at night. Furry as he is, cold doesn't bother him much... but the persistent, heavy, rain was quite interesting. It did a good job of rinsing the sand from his clothes and gear.
He offers Helga a polite bow, "Fare you well on your journeys. I hope our paths may cross again."
He follows Kiley into the inn.
Ari spends much of the next couple of hours brooding, lost in her own thoughts. The miserable weather does little to lift her mood but the stretch of road is one she’s familiar with and soon they’re on the final stretch to the Friendly Arm. Not too long before they’re due to arrive she takes some time to don her alternative persona.
Lisyil volunteers to help Ari prepare and with the heavy downpour not making for the ideal conditions, she doesn’t turn it down. Now wearing a yellow top with billowing sleeves, voluminous dark blue with a white swirling pattern at the feet and with her make up applied she has stepped into the role of Aamina. The gusting wind adds its own note to her already wildly brushed hair though she keeps her hood up and her cloak wrapped tightly around herself as protection from the elements.
”My thanks,” she says to Helga and Garok. In a more distant airy voice than her usual tone, she replies to Kiley. ”Wild is the wind and a storm before the Feast bodes ill.” She tips the woman a wink. ”Verily, let us make haste before we are blown inside.” With that she hurries into the roomy confines of the Inn.
Once they get near the caravan Sasha directs Pheliks to tail the wagons and then walks with the other guards, familiar with the expectations and about as uncomfortable as everyone else.
At the Inn she notes Ari's change of...persona(?)...but decides to largely ignore it for now. "She'll explain her secrets when she decides to open up," she explains to the rain as she trudges into the common room to get out of the downpour.
Once inside the Inn Sasha looks for an open table, orders food and drinks for everyone, and then watches to wave them all over when they come inside. "Dinner is on me, if you will let me!" she offers by way of peace-offering.
As soon as you enter the inn's public lobby area, the atmosphere around you changes. Outside it is cold and wet, but in here it is warm and friendly. Two fireplaces in the first level keep the room that way, and they've clearly been kept full of fuel tonight.
The inn is, unsurprisingly, nearly full of patrons on such an awful night outside.
A bar is off to your right, staffed by a bartender. He's serving all sorts of drinks from the shelves behind the bar, and calls out to you as you enter.
"Welcome to the Friendly Arm Inn!" he says affably, before he seems to notice Ari. "Ah Aamina, good to see you back! You here as staff or a patron tonight? And who are all of your friends?"
An entertainment stage is set up in one corner, and as you enter you see a human male step down off of the stage and another in line steps up. He begins playing his flute, to a few claps. Pilkin, the halfling from the caravan, is sitting on one of the stools in the line that looks like it's for the next performers.
The inn has a few available services, with Kiley's request for a bath being included. They have a separate bath house, but unfortunately it requires you to enter the rain once more. Up to you if it's worth it. Cold baths with only unheated water are complimentary, but warm baths with soap and oils are 6 copper pieces each. You've been told that the church of Selûne has your rooms covered for tonight, so you don't need to worry about that.
Food and drink is another matter, however, and the kitchen has gone all out to procure plenty of warming foods. The two specials for tonight include the mushroom and beef stew with garlic toast or a serving of roasted boar meat with mashed potatoes and grilled carrots. A meal of either for one costs 5 silver pieces and includes one mug of ale.
Sasha watches Ari/Aamina's reception with curiosity, but continues to wave hopefully. "Come on - I'm just trying to make this work..." she mutters to herself as she smiles and beckons the others over her way.
The oracle orders herself the roast boar and vegetables, though she debates a second dinner of the stew internally. She's already paid the staff for four meals (2 GP), so if any of the other PCs decline her offer she might have more to eat...
As Shaggar has only a few coins to rub together, he takes Sasha up on her offer of a meal and sits down next to her. "Thank you, Sasha. I would like to try the stew, please." Once the staff member is gone, the gnoll becomes animated in an understated way. "This is very exciting."
"Darling!" Aamina exclaims, drifting over and air kissing the barman on each cheek. "All pleasure tonight I'm afraid. I did say I'd be back but I don't suppose I expected it to be soon. Still, the winds of fortune do blow strangely sometimes." She gives an affected laugh. "And by Akadi they are blowing tonight!" She looks up, a clouded expression on her face for a second.
"Sorry, where was I? Yes yes, my good companions: Lisyil, Sasha, Kiley, and the handsome one's Shaggar." Aamina gestures to each in turn. "In a stage whisper she adds, [b]"A bunch of absolute sweethearts I must say. You'll have to fill me in on all the gossip later - and I do mean all of it - but do understand that we're famished and a fine dinner has been generously offered." She nods towards Sasha, returning her smile before following her to the table. "Come now, truly weary legs are made better with full stomachs."
Kiley's expression falls a little as she learns that she's probably going to wind up cold and soaked after a bath when she comes back into the inn. Still, a warm meal is enough to cheer her up as she takes her seat.
"Some stew and any hot, fresh bread you have with some honey and butter, please," Kiley requests, paying any extra charges incurred. She turns to Sasha after the server leaves and beams at her. "Thanks for the meal, Sasha. I've never been to Friendly Arm, so I'm as excited as Shaggar to try the food." She looks to her furry friend. "I wonder if they have any mead? I may have to see if they'll allow me to sing or dance for some coin if they do."
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”Mead and more,” Aamina replies. ”The selection is generally good. You’d probably be welcome to perform but unless the muse has struck or you’re harbouring bardic pretensions, it might just be easier if I furnish you - and anyone else who desires one - with a beverage.”
The food is hearty and warming, just what was needed after the grim weather. When they have finished eating, Lisyil nudges Ari gently, who shoots her a look, before muttering, ”Ok, ok.” Although she hadn’t really wanted to talk about it, the half-elf had cornered Ari when they were making the transformation into Aamina. First she listened to her vent, before putting across a more balanced opinion looking at both sides. Although she too had been surprised by Pheliks’ appearance, growing up in the Wealdath, Lisyil had a very elven perspective and relationship with animals. She is naturally comfortable around them in a way most humans don’t integrate them into their lives, though elves tend not to keep them as pets in the same way she has since learned humans often do. So she can understand where Ari was coming from, but can also understand - and puts forth why - Sasha was upset by her words. Ari finds that she does feel better for talking it through and agrees with Lisyil what would be appropriate to say to explain herself and make amends.
The half-elf squeezes her friend’s hand, knowing that the apology isn’t something that comes easy to her. Ari initially almost flinches away from the unexpected contact, but she is glad of it and squeezes back lightly to let Lisyil know.
Glancing around to avoid being overheard, she lowers her voice and slips back into her natural tone. Looking at Sasha, Ari inhales before beginning, ”I think I owe you an apology. I’m sorry for my words towards Pheliks and by extension you. I understand that he’s a trusted companion and I’m glad to fight alongside a powerful ally.” She looks at Lisyil, who nods.
”But, please also consider it from someone else’s perspective. While it was obvious to you that Pheliks was no danger, you’re the only one who had that knowledge. In the heat of battle, it’s hard to know whether he was a threat in the same way as the bear and that’s not the ideal time to find out. I know now that he’s well-trained and a loyal companion, but at the time there’s no way I could have known that - we didn’t even know of his existence.”
Her left hand is busy under the table, absent-mindedly turning a coin over and over between her fingers. The comfort of the familiar movement helps to keep Ari on track. ”So I was taken by surprise and for that I’m sorry. You’re entitled to secrets -” she gives a small laugh, ”as a follower of the Lady of Mists it would be hypocritical of me to complain about that. I’m certainly not asking for anyone to divulge their life story. I guess it’s the context more than anything else.” Ari comes to a stop, happy enough that she’s conveyed what she wanted to. ”So for my part I’m sorry and as far as I’m concerned it’s done. I’m glad to have you and Pheliks travelling with us.”
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Shaggar’s red eyes stare at his bowl of stew, sizing it up as a predator. He slowly watches it from several angles and sniffs at it. Finally, with a quick stab, he captures the largest mushroom – dripping stew – on a foreclaw. He looks at the fungi closely, sniffs it, then presses on it with his teeth gently testing its firmness. Finally, he traps it behind the cage of his teeth and pulls his claw free. He rolls the mushroom in his mouth and closes his lips giving him a funny, kissy, pursing look like a bear with berries. He spends minutes playing with the mushroom in his mouth before biting down on it.
"Ah, of course. I'll get Barnabus on those meals immediately. We do have plenty to talk about though, you'll have to come see me later tonight, after all this is done." he says, winking before waving a hand across the crowd before moving to get your drinks.
"We do have mead, if you're interested." A voice says as it walks up to your table. A woman walks up with a tray of mugs, clearly full of the drink the party so wants. She places the tray down on the edge of the table. "This round's on me, it's good to have you back, Aamina. The girls have missed you. I'm Marigold." she says as way of introduction to the rest of the group.
She turns to Shaggar as he messes with his soup and spears a mushroom.
"I hate to be rude, sir, but are you a...gnoll? I haven't ever seen one of you around." she continues, looking somewhat nervous at asking.
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Shaggar chuffs quietly. amused by the question, "You are not rude, Marigold of the Friendly Arm, and I take no offense. I am many things. A gnoll is most definitely one of them." He stands slowly so as not to alarm the young lady, and smooths his bisht before offering his clawed hand in greeting. "I am Shaggar of the Bedine, Blackmaw of the Bonecrack tribe, and walker of the burning sands of Anauroch."
Kiley listens to Ari give her apology to Sasha and hopes that will help warm things up between them and the rest of the group. She spreads some butter on the bread and drizzles it with a little honey as Merigold arrives and asks Shaggar about being a gnoll, her nerves apparent in her expression. Kiley, ever ready to put other people at ease about her friend, pipes up.
"Shaggar's saved my life more than once since I've met him," she tells Marigold. "He's as sweet as his name suggests. As for being interested in the mead..." She looks up at Shaggar. "Would you like to try some? I think you'd like it."
"If mead is as enjoyable as mushrooms, I will try it."
"Anyone else," Kiley asks the rest of the party before letting Marigold know she'd like one as well.
"Marigold!" Aamina replies, blowing the woman a kiss as she draws up at the table. "You look fabulous, darling." She gestures at the woman's long skirt. "I always said that red brings out your best side. And this is very sweet of you. Usually I find that zzar goes down better after eating - mead is perhaps just a touch too sweet for me - but if fate has brought us mead then I will gladly partake."
Sasha smiles and replies, "Thank you - but please, you're playing hostess somewhat. Let me make this peace offering by helping to pay for dinner. It's clear they all know you, so I won't decline free drinks, oh!"
As the free round of mead arrives Sasha raises her mug in a toasting motion as she continues. "...But the most important thing seems to the business of my dream and your mission. Pheliks will help too, of course. What do we do now?"
The oracle smiles at Shaggar, Kiley, and Marigold, but doesn't engage there, apparently simply content with the opportunity to get along better with the party.
"You enjoy that! Hope you can stay, we like having you around." Marigold says, before disappearing back into the crowd to continue serving patrons.
At Sasha's question, another strange voice speaks up from somewhere nearby, becoming louder as the speaker gets closer.
"Here is perhaps not the best place to speak of such matters."
She's a younger elf, relatively to elves, and dressed in simple silver robes. Surprisingly, she pulls a chair from a nearby table and slides it up to your table before sitting down.
"I had been told that one of you would be a gnoll, but I didn't quite believe it. I am glad the people here are more accepting of strange company than other places I have been. My name is Lysandra, you've been sent here to find me, if I have the right group?"
"You heard about us from Thandor, yes," Kiley ask as she studies the elf. The robes bring back memories of her father, and she feels a longing she know will never come to pass. Her parents are gone and her home put to the torch. She smiles, hiding her darkening mood behind the friendliness she tries to show everyone.
"Well met, Miss Lysandra. I am Kiley Sherrow and my friend here is Shaggar. He's traveled with me from Anauroch and has saved me several times since we first met. The others are Ar-- I mean-- Aamina, Lysil, and Sasha," the young woman says gesturing to each in turn. "We did have another, Marith, but it seems her path lays elsewhere. Sasha here met with us in a village about a day's travel from here."
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Shaggar merely nods. "I could be a Hound Archon... with a poor haircut."
Kiley ponders the possibility, but finds a flaw with the theory.
"Oh? Then where did you gain your sense of humor? I mean, surely you're not suggesting that I have been a corrupting influence on you," she asks with an utterly innocent expression, one that might have passed muster if it wasn't for the laughter dancing in her eyes.
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"I would never suggest such a thing, aloud."
"Proving that you are wise beyond your years, good sir," Kiley replies with all of the authority she can muster, which isn't much considering she's barely suppressing a grin.
Sasha waves hello to their new comrade at the table and orders another meal and drink for her [ooc](as well as one for the PC I missed - I assume due to holiday absence?)]/ooc]. Hello!
"Good to see you made it this far, at least. I hope there wasn't much trouble on the road? It's dangerous out there for smaller groups such as yours." Lysandra accepts the offer of the meal, choosing the mushroom soup.
"I've been here a few days now, this little bastion against the outer world is quite comfortable, surprisingly. I've rented a dorm upstairs for you when you're ready to retire, though I see there's plenty of entertainment and fun to be had yet." she says, looking over to the stage as Pilkin starts to make her way up to the single stool for performers.
"We got lucky. Do you know Helga and Garok? We joined up with their caravan before the first night out from Balder's Gate. We didn't have any trouble, at least not until we were attacked by a strange bear," Kiley says as she watches Pilkin take the stage. "As for the dorm, I don't suppose it has a bath that doesn't require us to go out in the cold rain to get to and from, does it? I'd love a chance to have a hot bath, but I don't want all of the good it does to be undone when I try and get to bed."
"Have you received word from Silvermoon Glade?"
"Uh, Shaggar, maybe we should wait until we aren't in the middle of a crowded taproom to ask that," Kiley says as quietly as she can and still be heard over the hubbub of the patrons.
The gnoll merely shrugs and sits back in his chair. With the entertainers on stage, he felt the risks were slight but he also knew that the cultures of the muzzle-less races were far more shifty and covert than his own.
Sasha smiles and replies, "Thank you - but please, you're playing hostess somewhat. Let me make this peace offering by helping to pay for dinner. It's clear they all know you, so I won't decline free drinks, oh!"
"Natural gifts, sweetie," Aamina replies, smiling. "Favours and a smile will get you a long way in most places. So thank you." She leans over and mock confidentially tells Sasha "And of course they know me - I'm a minor celebrity in these parts." She rests her elbow on the table and cups her face, tilting it towards the woman. "Which is to say that had you come in here a week or so earlier you may have been lucky enough to have had me serving you drinks or perhaps scrubbing your chamber floor."
"Uh, Shaggar, maybe we should wait until we aren't in the middle of a crowded taproom to ask that," Kiley says as quietly as she can and still be heard over the hubbub of the patrons.
Ari is inclined to agree with Kiley, though sometimes the cover and chatter of a noisy room is an ideal place for clandestine business. She doesn't really know how private a matter this is, though naturally her instincts are towards keeping it away from prying ears. "I wasn't expecting such talk so soon, it is always a shame to miss out on such splendid entertainment. Still, we none of us can control the winds so let us follow where they may blow. Perhaps we should retire to a private room for private business if matters are delicate?" She looks to Lysandra to set the agenda and tone.
Sasha looks confused at Ari/Aamina's words, especially the idea of celebrity and chamber floor scrubbing. She shrugs, though, and listens as the others discuss plans to talk in private, comfortable regardless of where the conversation happens.
"It is as Kiley says, this is not something we should speak of in public. At the end of the night, we'll head up to your rooms and we can talk then." she says as the server brings her food and she digs in.
Pilkin, up on the stage, launches into a fantastical tale about a group of heroes that describes their adventures into a haunted mine below a city in a far away land. It is quite beyond belief, and includes several jokes at the expense of the gnome that serves as the party's leader.
"Besides, I'm quite enjoying the show." Lysandra says, laughing at a particularly crude joke in the song along with most of the rest of the patrons in the tavern floor.
As you sit there enjoying the song and going through a few minutes of small talk and dinner, Shaggar and Lisyil notice the sounds of a commotion coming from the open door to the kitchen. A few moments later a cry of pain cuts across the sound of the song but is suddenly cut off as three goblins push their way through the half ajar kitchen door. They rush towards the crowd, two of them stabbing their small crude swords into the sides of the closest patrons, and one cutting a thin red line across a third. Screams rise from the entire tavern, with these people obviously not being experienced combatants.
At the same time, the front doors are shoved open and another trio of goblins rush in that way. The one that didn't help push the doors open nocks an arrow and shoots it towards the stage, where it lands in Pilkin's shoulder. She cries out in pain and falls to the floor before crawling her way off the stage.
Shaggar jumps up from his chair, his axe coming almost unbidden into his hands.
Most of the patrons besides you are running away from the goblins, which means towards the stage. A few get caught by cuts from the west goblins that jump up on some tables, but nothing lethal thankfully.
The eastern goblins, however, seem to understand that anyone drawing a weapon is a threat, and two of the three move towards Shaggar, blades drawn. The third jumps up on the bar, aiming to terrorize the bartender, but the bartender has also drawn his sword and stabs at it an attempt to defend the tavern.
Round 1
Shaggar takes the blade’s bite with a stoic grunt… then responds by bringing his axe down on the goblin’s small shoulders.
HP: 9 / 12 | AC:16 / T:11 / FF:15 | CMD:16/15
Arrows (20):
Arisen (1):
Effects:
Arisen - Die at -18 HP
Kiley draws her greatsword as she stands and steps closer to the goblin on the table beside her. Her expression is grim as she strikes.
Luckily, it seems as if goblins aren't tough enemies, and those two die horrific deaths at the hands of the two large weapon strikes. Four to go!
Taken unawares by the commotion and the ensuing rabble of goblins, Ari is slower to react than she would like. She shimmies around the table and lines up a shot with her bow at the goblin standing atop the bar.
Ari's arrow hits, but does not kill, the goblin on top of the bar.
Lysil focuses on one of the goblins closest to her and giggles nervously as she slips under the table.
Sasha Shardlight
Female Chaotic Good Half-Orc Oracle (Stargaser Archetype), Level 1, Init 1, HP 9/9, Speed 30
AC 17, Touch 11, Flat-footed 16, CMD 10, Fort 3, Ref 3, Will 3, CMB -1, Base Attack Bonus 0
Light Crossbow +1 (1d8, 19-20/x2)
Longspear -1 (1d8-1, 20/x3)
Morningstar -1 (1d8-1, 20/x2)
Scale Mail, Light Steel Shield (+5 Armor, +1 Shield, +1 Dex)
Abilities Str 9, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 20
Relevant Skills Disguise (to look human, took 10) DC 25
Perception/Sense Motive +3
Survival +3
Conditions None
"Get away from the doors and windows! Use the furniture as cover or a shield!" shouts Sasha as she leaps onto a table, draws out her crossbow, loads a bolt into it, and then begins to take aim at an attacking goblin...
The goblin Lisyil focuses her power on doesn't seem to feel the misfortune cast upon him, but it affects him nonetheless.
The three goblins on the left seem to catch on to who the threat to their terror is, and turn their attention to you. The two on top of the tables loose arrows toward Shaggar and Sasha, while the third one advances on foot to strike at Sasha from below.
Both arrows shoot far above their targets, and it looks as if the goblin would hit Sasha but the mysterious power put on it by Lisyil averts his strike, and it misses.
The goblin on the bar swings at the bartender again, and gets swung at in turn.
\
The bartender strikes solidly, finsihing Ari's work and laughing as the goblin's body falls to the ground.
Shaggar yanks his blade from the gaping hole in the goblin's chest and turns in a swirl of robes. He stalks toward the two goblins at the bar. "You should not have come here." He whips his axe sideways, trying to halve the nearest goblin.
HP: 9 / 12 | AC:16 / T:11 / FF:15 | CMD:16/15
Arrows (20):
Arisen (1):
Effects:
Arisen - Die at -18 HP
Kiley smiles grimly as she takes down one goblin and moves onto the next. The one after Sasha seems like as good a target as any.
Unfortunately it appears that the little snot is ready for her and ducks her blade.
Lysil's giggles grow more manic as she slinks away from the goblin to keep out of its reach.