Toki watches the fight, silently cheering on the scrawny boy, Fight, boy. Fight as your life depended on it... someday it might.
Braith watches as the others, Toki especially, seem to get involved in the goings-on one way, and so feels confident going with others just to hear the pretty song.
As an aside, if anyone (like Gideon) practices with their weapon, Braith will watch, if it's okay, and will try to copy whatever you're doing, either holding her own mace or the nearest stout stick. She's not bad, but she seems to be unable to figure out what hand to use and appears to be equally mediocre with either side.
A small frown crosses Toki's face, but decides to support his companion, Oi, brats, what glory do you gain from bullying the weak, eh? Two of you to hold back that girl? And you! You ought to learn to respect the sorcerer, for his dark magicks might tear out your soul as you sleep! Haha!
None of the adult onlookers seem inclined to break up the fight. You do hear mutterings in the crowds that both dismiss the larger boy (Bjorn) as a bully, and imply that the twins (Gulli and Yrsa) are meddlers in dangerous magics.
The teenagers look up at Gideon's comments, but when Toki starts shouting about magic, Bjorn eyes widen and he lets go of Gulli, backing away in fear: "I dunno why you're shouting at me -- they're the filty 'canis... arcanists. Everyone knows that's evil -- even my da' says so."
Gulli steps away from the larger boy, but lets fly with his own scathing comments: "We're not arcanists, you dumb musclebrains."
And you think that bullying the boy will save you if he is evil? You're dumber than I am! Ha ha ha! then turning to Gulli and his sister, Toki turns serious, What was that about? Why would they think that you are sorcerers?
The bunny's ears begin to twitch and he gets a little spring to his step before he jumps onto the stage and dance to the music, terrible as the signing might be.
If/when the song comes to a close, Braith will call out, Do you know , the one with the hero and the dragon?
Yrsa, still struggling between Bjorn's friends, spits: "Who even knows where these superstitious hicks get their ideas. Who cares if someone is magic? Doesn't matter -- they only needed the say-so of Bjorn's stupid father to run our parents out of town!"
At these comments (and Gideon's accusations), the crowd shifts uncomfortably, but nobody does anything.
Bjorn, on the other hand, starts shouting again: "YOU SHUT UP! Magic is evil! It is, you don't even.... You're just stupid and evil! Where's my da' -- he'll tell you. DA'! DA'? COME GET RID OF THESE 'CANISTS!"
As Bjorn starts shouting, Yrsa struggles a bit more to get free -- yanking an arm from one boy then the other. The girl-bully, Inga, grabs Yrsa from behind, trying to get her to stop struggling, but eventually ends up just shoving her to the ground. As Yrsa twists to avoid injury, she catches Inga's eye, and the bully collapses to the ground in fits of laughter.
The crowd is shocked into silence, before their muttering increases in volume. The bullies all jump back, afraid, giving the twins a chance to run away.
It’s obvious that Yrsa’s spellcasting is not a deliberate act. She herself is very surprised by it.
Jacka-Lope's dancing is passable, but it's difficult to keep to the beat with the incessant hammering next door.
With Braith's question, the skald stops singing momentarily (the hammering immediately stops as well): "Hi! Thanks for the lovely dance! Do you mean Saint George & The Dragon? I think that's a Ffolk song -- I think I know some of it, but I'm trying to learn the sagas of the North!"
Toki stands and looks for Bjorn's father to show himself before nodding to Gideon to follow the twins...
Toki chuckles to himself and follows in the direction that the twins went...
Toki leans in to Jaylen and Gideon, Looks like the girl is scared of her own... talents. Best be careful...
The bunny folk's ears perk up as the skald talks about stories. Jack loves reading stories. He loves hearing stories, he loves making them up. Whether the story is true or false, it matters little. It is all about the fun of the story.
Have you ever heard the story of King Under the Bunton? he says as his nose wiggles and his whiskers stand up.
While the chatty rabbit talks to the musician, such as it were, she scoots over to the smithy. Trying to discourage him, or make him better, with the offbeat hammering? She isn't being sarcastic, she is genuinely curious. She also tries to figure out what, if anything, he is beating into submission on his anvil.
The skald introduces himself as Gutt Leifson: "Hm, nope -- don't know that one. Say, what brings you three to town?"
As you enter the forge, you see a well-muscled, middle-aged human woman with short black hair wearing a thick leather apron over simple linen clothing: "Ugh -- he's so terrible. He can't hold a tune, and even if you could, he's so nasally that it drives me crazy. If I could get away with it, I'd knock him unconscious and tie him to a tree!"
Looks like she was most recently working on some barrel hoops.
You chase the twins around the corner and into some narrow streets, but they quickly disappear down twisting alleys, and you can't locate them.
As you stop to look about, you notice that the buildings in this part of Blodvahrer are mostly tenements and smaller houses. A small temple to the Earthmother is located centrally in the neighbourhood.
The villagers here wear simple, unadorned clothing. People eye you suspiciously (you've just been charging through the street, chasing some teenagers, after all), though not unkindly.
To the east and south, the quarter looks out over the bay from 100-foot-high cliffs. Children can be found playing dangerously close to the edge.
Toki opens his mouth to appeal to the twins, but realizes that he forgot their names... Gideon, what were their names again?
Nodding his thanks, Toki calls out, Gulli! Yrsa! Come on out... We wish to talk to you! Would you help us?
I've definitely heard better, she chuckles. Taking a very wild stab, Hey have you ever heard the one about "Witwulf"? I heard the end of it once, no idea how it starts. I don't want to subject you to more of this one's melodious talents by asking him!
As they chase the kids, Jaylen asks ”Toki, you are from this area are you not? Why are these people so averse to magic?
The smith scratches her head and frowns: "Is that a song? There was something... maybe an old story? Welll, I dunno," she shrugs, raising an empty palm, "Usually, the best people to ask about stuff like that are the priest or the lawspeaker."
The kids don't reveal themselves. Eventually, you realize that they probably aren't hiding nearby -- likely just kept running.
That combined with a somewhat isolated community and the Northlanders' historical fears of magic are likely combining to create the current feelings toward arcane magic in Blodvahrer.
(You haven't seen any evidence of it, but you assume / hope that interactions with the Ffolk have tempered feelings about druidic magic, but at this point you aren't willing to bet on it.)
Toki frowns and continues, But it seems that many here have taken up worship of Tempus... mix that with the superstitions of the past, these folk seem to have forsaken cleverness for the blade. Now, I do not count myself among the clever, but I at least understand the benefit of having a sorcerer at my side... Anyway, it doesn't look like any of these folk would shelter the kids, they likely have kept running... Can anyone track?
Jaylen kneels down and searches for the freshest set of tracks left by the kids. I see them run and he an approximate idea of how big they were, so he figured maybe he can pick out the pair of youngling’s tracks.
”Its like finding a daisy in a field of wild flowers. Just too many other tracks to determine which ones were theirs.”
Braith would wrap up the conversation and make her way back to the others, pausing to see if the other two are ready to go with.
The bunny folk gets a good idea, he runs up to the bard, smacks him on the behind and yells TAG! YOU'RE IT! as he runs away on his bunny feet.
The two groups reconvene at the Open Door Tavern and Inn.
Inside the large tavern are several tables and a long bar. Rates for rooms (8sp), food (4sp), and drinks (2sp) are advertised in chalk on bits of slate. (If you order anything, you find that the food is decent, and the drinks are not watered down beyond recognition.)
The tavernkeeper is a middle-aged woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, wearing a plain brown dress and a white apron; she introduces herself as Jofrid Barker.
There are a few townsfolk in the tavern (mostly off-duty dockworkers, from the look of them). One individual stands out: He is the only villager wearing armour (chainmail) and a carrying a weapon (warhammer). He is a tall, strong man with short blonde hair and a beard, and he wears a holy symbol of Tempus on a chain around his neck.
Jofrid: "What'll you be havin', dearies? Just arrived in on the Shantu, eh? Now, why would you be here without any cargo -- that's what everyone wants to know!"
The bunny plops down at a table, sitting on a chair. He gives the barmaid a knuckle wave. His ears come down making him look like a lop rabbit and inquires about the various veggies and non meat things that the inn has to eat.
We are on a quest! Toki says with a grin, The seer charged us with making things right! You know where those kids hide out? I think that they may be in trouble... oh, and I'll take a mead, if you got one!
Jack looks around, wondering where his tag partner is.
Braith looks at Toki, unsure of his boldness in stating their true objective. She heard a little about some kids messing with magic but still doesn't quite get why magic is "bad".
She orders whatever the special of the day is, and a mead of course, and tells Jack he can share the non meat stuff that comes with her meal (if they didn't have anything for him). She would make sure that no matter someone's wealth or dietary preferences, we all have something to eat. She mutters something about needing fuel for the quest.
After hearing the owner's reply to Toki, she will nudge him and suggest that maybe a holy person, like that patron with the armor over there, might know more about "Witwulf", or some of the other bits of the directive they were given.
Jofrid puts an elbow onto the bar and leans in to Jacka-Lope: "Yoor a cutie, aintcha. Edward can getcha some veggies -- you want 'em raw or cooked? EDWARD!"
A grey-haired man in an apron pokes his head out of the kitchen and takes Jacka-Lope's order (and anyone else who's having food).
Jofrid serves up mead to Toki and Braith: "Oh, a seer, is it? Sounds seerious," she says with a twinkle. "Lotsa kids 'round town -- not sure who ya' mean. Someone steal your purse, dearie? Maybe you want to check with the lawspeaker..."
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Naw, the pair that was havin' trouble outside your door just a bit ago... Didn't notice? Toki shrugs, Where do I go to see the Lawspeaker?
Jofrid's grin falters slightly: "Oh... That. I'm surprised," she leans in closer and drops her voice as her eyes cut over to the large, armoured man on the other side of the room, "surprised Bjorn isn't cowering under his daddy's chair already -- always makin' trouble that one."
She stands back up, her voice returning to normal: "As for the orphans -- well, I say orphans, but it's just that their parents aren't around on account o' being chased outta town. Gulli and Yrsa are probably back at their auntie Gudrun's -- she's the baker -- or they're hiding out in the forest until things quiet down."
Oh, is he one of those that is all talk but no walk? Or however that saying goes?
At normal tone, This mead is quite good, thank you!
Toki nods and turns to the others, Shall we check with Gudrun? I could use some fresh bread!
His ears perk up and he gives the order taker the Puss in Boots eyes look ordering I would like some carrots if you have them, and an onion, those are always good and oh let's see, celery and onion. Even better if you have it in a soup with a nice vegetable broth. he says as he claps his hands in excitement.
Jaylen watches the others for a short time before deciding what to order and then orders similarly. Doubling up on Jack’s order of veggie soup. He takes great interest when Toki explains the interaction between the religions of the land and listens intently as Braith inquires of the Tempus follower.
To Toki’s question, ”We’ve just ordered… let us finish our meal first. That seems a prudent course afterward though. “
There isn't really time to make up a proper vegetable stew or soup from scratch, so Edward makes you up a nice stir-fry instead.
Jofrid has to take care of a couple of other customers, but she's available to chat or answer questions if needed.
Toki sheepishly accepts his mead and begrudgingly admits that Jaylen is right... Okay, but let us not tarry! We have a quest to complete.
The bunny politely eats his food thinking about all of the ways that he can cause mischief.
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That bread is probably filled with insects and other disgusting things, and I'm sure that water is disease inducing. I don't know how the poor stay as healthy as they do.
Gideon orders whatever has the highest alcohol content, and skips eating for now.
Perhaps the alcohol will offset whatever germs this unclean vessel holds.
He listens carefully to the activity, and eyes if anyone is foolish enough to leave any jewelry or coin carelessly about.