Vivaeri had a retort to Adjunta's suggestion but managed to catch it in her throat before she embarrassed her father. Instead she simply smirked, looking up at the sky in mock frustration and trying not to smile at her sister's antics. "Gods, it's like the world has turned upside-down." she whispered to Halsanna, and then in a too-serious-to-be-serious tone added, "If you're done having your fun, we have a toad to catch. This is very serious business here!" She couldn't keep her smile from showing entirely though. As Ewald said, the entire situation was ridiculous.
"Well, I could use that trick I mentioned in the barn to lure him to edge of the pond. That is, if toads are that easily drawn to the sound of other toads. Or I could keep trying to sing it to sleep as much as I can again. I don't know how these animals behave though?"
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Adjunta's eyes seem to smile as his joke is well received. He is a man that takes his duties as a priest very seriously but is clearly a man that is not above humor . . . should the situation warrant it.
"The problem is we want him alive," Adjunta muses, "and we need that specific toad. I suppose we could set a trap for it, but that could take some time. A net would help but seeing as we don't have one I suppose we should keep trying what we're trying . . . it sure does beat wading out there in the muck."
"I think you should keep trying what you were trying before...not that I know much of the ways of Magic or how many times you can cast that dwemore today"
Ewald begins to remove his boots
"And as for wading..well it's no hardship for me...it's not like 20 miles through a swamp with Quadiran rangers hunting you.."
"I can keep it up until my voice give out, actually." Vivaeri grinned, she at least felt useful for the moment. She paced around the edge of the pond until she was close enough to use her magic, and began to sing again.
Ewald slips into the pond the mud squelching between his toes..he cautiously moves towards the toad gauntletted hands closing around the fat body of the Amphibian
"Sorry your Majesty..but your reign here is over" he whispers as he lifts it.
Ewald slips into the pond the mud squelching between his toes..he cautiously moves towards the toad gauntletted hands closing around the fat body of the Amphibian
"Sorry your Majesty..but your reign here is over" he whispers as he lifts it.
"Gotta catch them all!" Amunrel whispers shaking his head in disbelief.
"So whats next on the agenda, snake, cat or bat... there was only five escapees weren't there?" he asks quietly.
"Okay so do we check the farm again for the bat or try looking for tracks again around the site they were set free from?" Amunrel asks.
"So from your experience where would a cat, bat or snake do if they were freed near here?" Amunrel asks Arhnault.
Ewald rubs his chin.."To be honest I'm surprised the snake moved from the area it was released in..it was in its natural habitat and ned told us it was feed recently which would make it somewhat sluggish."
"Bats favour caves but this isnt the right country for those...I suggest we check the temple belfry...just in case..that is if there is a temple here" he looks to Adjunta
"As for the Cat...they follow their own paths in my experience. We'll find it has made itself comfortable somewhere though they always do"
Vivaeri was still beaming over her minor accomplishment when the others suggested checking belfries for bats.
"You're joking, right? It's not just an old saying?"
Ned:
'Oh yes , my lady , I understand that traditionnally mages insist for vipers !
"But was it well fed before your trip?" Amunrel asks.
"If that was the case it would have surely found someplace to sleep it off wouldn't it?" Amunrel asks Arhnault.
"Well then..back to the wagon and a careful search...then we can recionsider our options"
Ewald climbs away from the pond his feet and lower legs dripping slime and mud. He finds a flat rock on dry ground and uses his waterskin to rinse the muck of his legs then checks carefully to ensure he hasn't picked up any leeches.
If he hasn't then he puts his boots back on ..if he has he treats the bloodsuckers with salt from his belt pouch.
"So do we go find another rat to tempt it out of hiding?" Amunrel asks.
Vivaeri's wry smile at the priest's remark died the moment Ned answered her sister's question. "Oh lovely..." She didn't even bother to hide her shiver. And if she looked bothered then, she looked absolutely aghast at her uncle's suggestion. "Gods, can't we just burn it out of the brush or something?" She turned to her father, "Is it even legal to own poisonous snakes?" She had an unfortunate tendency to treat her father as a target of last-resort appeals whenever she thought his personal code would work out in her favor.
Vivaeri's wry smile at the priest's remark died the moment Ned answered her sister's question. "Oh lovely..." She didn't even bother to hide her shiver. And if she looked bothered then, she looked absolutely aghast at her uncle's suggestion. "Gods, can't we just burn it out of the brush or something?" She turned to her father, "Is it even legal to own poisonous snakes?" She had an unfortunate tendency to treat her father as a target of last-resort appeals whenever she thought his personal code would work out in her favor.
"Well the poisonous part does merit a little concern now doesn't it?" Amunrel lightly comments to the lad who they were doing this search for...
Well lets put aside our hunt for the snake for the moment and try and figure out if we can find the bat or the cat...time is moving people we don't want to be searching after dark"
Ewald scans around looking for tall trees or buildings where a bat might come to roost..he also notes which of the towns buildings is nearest
Perception... 1d20+5=10...must have been distracted watching Halsanna
Well lets put aside our hunt for the snake for the moment and try and figure out if we can find the bat or the cat...time is moving people we don't want to be searching after dark"
Ewald scans around looking for tall trees or buildings where a bat might come to roost..he also notes which of the towns buildings is nearest
Perception... 1d20+5=10...must have been distracted watching Halsanna
Amunrel seeing where Arhnault is looking decides to give him a hand by seeing if he can see anything that might draw the attention of the errant cat or bat.
"Perhaps the barn we just came from might have a suitable corner in the rafters?" Amunrel suggests as he tries to see what else might be a suitable roost for a bat.
Ewald shakes his head..."I don't think we would be very welcome back there Sir...maybe we should try the town..and to be honest I would like to find the ruffian who attacked ned and started this all"
Ewald shakes his head..."I don't think we would be very welcome back there Sir...maybe we should try the town..and to be honest I would like to find the ruffian who attacked ned and started this all"
"You think we might be able to track him or them?" Amunrel asks.
"Or better yet discover the reasoning behind this I suppose charade might be a better description?" the elf adds thoughtfully.|
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"You think we might be able to track him or them?" Amunrel asks.
"Or better yet discover the reasoning behind this I suppose charade might be a better description?" the elf adds thoughtfully.
"I am in agreement with this course of action," Adjunta says, "there are things that don't quite add up, and as much as I applaud you for your efforts, locating this prankster and setting him to work recovering this young man's goods would be the best course of action."
"I am in agreement with this course of action," Adjunta says, "there are things that don't quite add up, and as much as I applaud you for your efforts, locating this prankster and setting him to work recovering this young man's goods would be the best course of action."
"You think we might be able to track him or them?" Amunrel asks.
"Or better yet discover the reasoning behind this I suppose charade might be a better description?" the elf adds thoughtfully.
"I wonder, who else knew you were delivering these pets?" Amunrel asks.
"It's just that if the man who was supposed to accompany you wasn't involved, then what of the customer?" the elf asked."Just suppose your client had no interest or ability to pay, so he ambushed you and released some of the pets to hide the fact he had chosen his new familiar so when say us tracked down the others leaving his choice missing he could claim he wouldn't pay for the familiar he wanted and noone would even suspect him of this deed," Amunrel shrugged.
"So did he pay in advance and can you sense any magic cast on either the wagon or out friend here?" Amunrel asks.
Ewald nods in comprehension
"That is I think the crux of the matter...I don't pretend to know anything about magic..but is that the normal way of obtaining a familiar..buying one?"
Ewald nods in comprehension
"That is I think the crux of the matter...I don't pretend to know anything about magic..but is that the normal way of obtaining a familiar..buying one?"
"Whilst I do have family who practice the craft, I myself am sorely lacking in that area, how is your uncle by the way I believe he was trained in the arcane?" Amunrel asks.
"My uncle Sir?" Ewald looks totally confused.."My uncle breeds horses..good ones too but magic..nay you must have me confused with someone else""
"My uncle Sir?" Ewald looks totally confused.."My uncle breeds horses..good ones too but magic..nay you must have me confused with someone else""
"My apologies, I meant my nieces other uncle, I believe he was expected to join us the morning you turned up and this... happened," Amunrel smiles back shrugging off the confusion he had just invoked.
"I feel as though we are missing something," Adjunta says as he adjusts his robes, "perhaps we should consult an expert in town and ask him or her about the nature of familiars."
"Aye, I'd have to second that," Amunrel sighs seeing neither of his nieces are going to reply.
"What of you Sir Oribar?" Amunrel asks him.
Ewald blinks slightly he had missed the girls fathers name in the hubbub of the inn earlier but now it takes him slightly by surprise..A Sir Oribar who has a brother who is a mage surely there could not be two such in this town.... he looks from one girl to the other slowly...these are the ones he seeks..or rather one of them is.But which one...the practical girl he can spar with or the flighty bard...he decides to wait biding his time remaining in the white lie that is Arnhalt.
"Unless, of course, the local expert is the buyer"
"That could get awkward..." Vivaeri deadpanned. "Surely it isn't a one-mage town though. I mean, this is Taldor." Expressing anything purely positive about her home country was a bit of a rarity; any compliments tended to be coupled with a sentiment of 'but it could be better'. But she had to admit that Taldor seemed, from her perspective, to have a surplus of the over-educated, including wizards.
"Besides," Adjunta reminds everyone, "we know who the buyer is, young Ned has already supplied us with that information."
Amunrel freezes in place.
Turning slightly to glance at Adjuntel he then looks at Ned.
"I believe a recap is in order for those of us with slightly less than perfect memory, who exactly is your client?" Amunrel asks Ned.
"I only know his name is Estorion . that he live in Moremarsh and that he is a around forty years old taldan with a beautifull quarterstaff with a red gem on top and some wizardly red robes and that he insisted on a delivery today "
Sorry , Amunrel but you already rolled the first time this name came on the conversation and you didn't have any information then .
"I only know his name is Estorion . that he live in Moremarsh and that he is a around forty years old taldan with a beautifull quarterstaff with a red gem on top and some wizardly red robes and that he insisted on a delivery today "
Vivaeri was nearly overcome by a giggling fit before she raised her hand to her mouth, her shoulders shaking as she looked half apologetic to Halsanna for having her mind in the gutter again and trying to hide her reaction from her father completely. She did not want to have that conversation...